Ibrahim Zadran celebrates his century yesterday. Pic/Satej Shinde

Till the 27th over when Maxwell and skipper Pat Cummins (12 not out of 68 balls, 1x4) were playing on 55 and seven respectively, it was Afghanistan’s match and it looked like they would easily overcome Australia. But when Maxwell took fresh guard after the drinks break in the 28th over of the innings, he welcomed spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman (0-72) with a cracking cover driven four. His intentions were clear. 

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Then, he hit two sixes off the first two balls of the innings’ 29th over bowled by Noor Ahmad. Maxwell needed just 76 balls to register his second century of the tournament. Even after struggling to take singles and twos due to cramps and lower back pain, he waited for the loose deliveries and capitalised on them by hitting fours and sixes. He last ran a single when on 146. After that, he dealt in fours and sixes till he reached 169. The right-hander must thank Mujeeb, who dropped him off Noor when he was on 33.

Cummins’s crucial support

One man who played an equally important role in Australia’s triumph was skipper Cummins, who batted at No.9 very sensibly. He contributed just 12 runs, but faced 68 balls, which was a huge support to Maxwell, with whom he stitched a 202-run stand off 170 balls for the eight wicket. Afghanistan’s star leg-spinner Rashid Khan (2-44) tried his best, but it was not enough to counter Maxwell. Earlier, charged-up by opener Ibrahim Zadran’s gutsy unbeaten century (129, 8x4, 3x6) and pacers Naveen-ul-Haq (2-47) and Azmatullah Omarzai (2-52), Afghanistan made it tough for the Australians.

Aussie openers David Warner (18) and Travis Head (0) began their chase for a semi-final spot, but Head lasted only two balls. Naveen pierced Head’s defence with a beautiful outswinger which the left-hander edged to wicketkeeper Ikram Alikhil in the second over of the innings. Then, one-drop Mitchell Marsh (11-ball 24) played some beautiful shots—a one-bounce four over Naveen’s head and a cracking pull for six off the same bowler. However, Naveen had the last laugh when he trapped Marsh LBW in the same over.  

By the ninth over, Australia lost their man-in-form Warner and Josh Inglis (0) off back-to-back deliveries when Omarzai first disturbed Warner’s furniture with a classic inswinger and then compelled Inglis to edge one to Zadran at first slip. Australia had just 49 runs on the board with four batsmen back in the dressing room.