Australian skipper Pat Cummins has downplayed the injury fears of their all-rounder Glenn Maxwell following his historic and match-winning knock against Afghanistan in Wankhede Stadium. The 35-year-old struggled to get going amid his batting innings due to cramping, but he persevered and led Australia home on Wednesday.
In their World Cup 2023 campaign, Maxwell helped Australia recover from 91 for 7 wickets and successfully chase down 292, defying the odds and producing one of the greatest ODI innings. The hard-hitting finisher became the first batter to score a double-hundred in chasing a target.
Speaking at the post-match conference, Pat Cummins believes that Glenn Maxwell would be fine for the remaining games of the marquee event and lauded his passion for the country to win big matches for the team.
“Yeah, I’m sure he’ll be fine. He was cramping but I think you saw out there how much he loves playing for Australia and do anything to play. So, I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
“He is happy. Just cramp. I think that’s the main thing. I think his back was cramping pretty early on. Felt tight and then just hamstrings, calves. For one over he said his toe was gone”.
“So, I’m sure it will be fine, plenty of hydration, he’ll be in the ice bath I’m sure, but I’m sure you’ll be very satisfied and it will be okay,” Pat Cummins said.
Glenn Maxwell made history by playing one of the best knocks in history. In the 292-run chase, he remained unbeaten on 201 runs, the first-ever double-century in the second innings of an ODI match. He also created history in ODIs by becoming the first Australian to score 200 runs in the 50-over format of the game.
It Looked Like You Were Going To Have To Bury Him – Pat Cummins
Pat Cummins disclosed that Maxwell wanted to play despite experiencing severe cramping during the match and said that the team was ready to send him off the field as Adam Zampa was waiting on the boundary line to enter the game if Maxwell walked out due to injury.
“When Maxie went down, it looked like you were going to have to bury him on the spot and the physio came out and there was a fair bit of conversation going on. Zamps was actually on the boundary waiting to come out was there a discussion then about him having to go off that he just couldn’t move or was it always going to be a stay-on job?” Pat Cummins added.
Maxwell’s innings also showed his perseverance and determination. Maxwell had severe cramps halfway through his inning, yet he did not give up. He had to endure the pain of relying more on big hits than on sprinting between the wickets. He was hardly able to run for singles, but he still managed to play and carry his team to the Semifinals of the World Cup.