Glenn Maxwell, the Australian all-rounder, played an extraordinary innings against Afghanistan in the ongoing ODI World Cup. His maiden double century helped Australia chase down a target of 292 after they were struggling at 91/7. Maxwell’s historic knock not only saved his team from defeat but also secured their place in the semi-finals.
In a recent interview with Adam Gilchrist and Michael Vaughan on the Club Prairie Fire Podcast, Maxwell revealed his strategy during his innings. He stated that his goal was to play like a “subcontinent team” and exploit their weaknesses. According to Maxwell, players from subcontinent teams like Afghanistan tend to start fighting amongst themselves if he stays on the crease for a longer duration.
Maxwell explained, “The energy that they had in the first 15-20 overs was extraordinary, and we have seen that a lot from them. I have played against a lot of subcontinental teams, and one thing I have always noticed is that if you can take the sting out of the game, not by scoring runs, but by simply being there, it starts to get flat. They start bickering, infighting, finger-pointing, arms-raising, fielders lose focus, and it all starts to unravel.”
The 35-year-old all-rounder also credited his experience in playing golf for helping him play unique shots during his double century against Afghanistan. He mentioned that the positions he gets into on the golf course, where he is stuck behind a tree and has to turn his wrist around, allows him to be inventive on the cricket field. Maxwell revealed that he used to do drills before every Big Bash League game, where he would stand still for the first 12 balls and hit them as far as he could, focusing on upper body movement without using his legs.
With Australia now in the semi-finals of the ODI World Cup 2023, they are set to face South Africa in the knockout game on Thursday in Kolkata. Maxwell’s exceptional performance has undoubtedly boosted the team’s confidence as they aim to claim the title.
