Not anymore. Not after last night. At 91-7, the Afghan celebrations had started. Rashid Khan was bowling like a dream and with Noor Ahmed supporting him from the other end, Australian wickets were falling in a heap. Each time the camera panned to the Afghan dug-out, you could see smiles on the faces of Jonathan Trott and Ajay Jadeja. Hashmatullah Shahidi’s team were closing in on their best-ever win. If it happened, the semi-final doors would open up for them. They just needed to get Maxwell, and it was all done.
Maxwell, on the other hand, seemed jittery. More so after the Marnus Labuschagne run-out. He was trying to play shots off every ball and from the very start, it was a high-risk innings. He even played a false shot and offered a simple catch to Mujeeb Ur Rahman off Noor. That’s when the penny dropped. All of a sudden, he was a transformed player. A look at the sky, and it was like he was speaking to the cricket Gods and thanking them for the opportunity. Shots all around the Wankhede, and all his captain could do from the other end was applaud.
Everyone watching was left in awe, and the Afghans did not know what had hit them. Even Rashid was searching for answers as Maxwell started to take control. It was power-hitting of a very different nature and every shot seemed destined. The sixes were landing in the stands and the fours were hit with such power that not once did the fielders have a chance. Within 30 minutes, the game had changed. Maxwell had reached one of his best hundreds and Australia, from nowhere, could sniff a chance.
The 100-run partnership had come up with Pat Cummins having contributed 8 to the cause. In sport, we often say a player is in the zone when he or she is playing at their best. But if we are asked to define what we mean by the zone, we struggle. Going forward, all we need to do is switch on the video of Maxwell’s innings. That’s what we mean by the zone. Batting like a man possessed, it was as if Maxwell had it all worked out. He was reading the game five overs ahead, and had decided to go after every bowler that came in front of him.
It was also a mental battle. He managed to scar the Afghans, and from a team that was celebrating and passionate, they looked fearful and scared. Each bowler suffered from the dreaded fear of failure, and almost did not want to bowl to Maxwell. The Big Show had beaten them with skill and in the mind. In doing so, he had put on the biggest show of his career, on the greatest stage of them all – the World Cup.
It was fitting that he scored the first double-hundred of the World Cup, and the first by an Australian in 50-over cricket. An innings of this quality had to have something special attached to it. Even if I keep Kapil Dev’s 175 not out (v Zimbabwe, 1983) in mind and Ricky Ponting’s 140 in the 2003 final – not to forget Viv Richards in 1979, Clive Lloyd in 1975 and Aravinda De Silva in 1996 – I have to say that Maxwell has played perhaps the defining innings in the history of the World Cup. Only Kapil would come close, but it is probably fair to say that, with Rashid and Naveen and Mujeeb, Maxwell was up against a better attack.
It was sheer brilliance. Class, ability and audacity had all combined to make Maxwell a man possessed in Mumbai. Not only did he take his team to the semi-final, he also made Australia one of the favourites from here on. If they can win it from 91-7, they can beat any team, and that includes India. The Big Show has arrived, and done so in style, with the biggest blockbuster of his career.
Maxwell, evidently, has been through it all. He has suffered depression and had taken a break from the sport. He suffered pain and was challenged last night. He was not just up against the Afghans, but also his own body. At one point, he was flat on the ground and in severe pain. He could hardly move, leave alone run. But that’s where he won. He was determined to carry on, and crossed the pain threshold. It was one of those moments in sport. A gladiator doing his job in extreme adversity. Real, not reel. Redeeming himself in the process.
Maxwell had failed Australia in the 2019 World Cup. He has failed time and again. With help from the DRS and a few dropped catches, he was determined not to do so last night. It wasn’t the perfect innings. But that’s what it is all about – the quest to be perfect on an imperfect day. A batting masterclass scripted in the mind. The greatest World Cup knock ever.