“Every Batman needs a Robin” - ICC shares clip of Pat Cummins' 68-ball 12* amid Glenn Maxwell carnage
Australia’s batting all-rounder Glenn Maxwell scored an incredible 201* off 128 balls to lift his team to a famous come-from-behind triumph over Afghanistan in the 2023 World Cup match on Tuesday. While Maxwell grabbed all the limelight for his spectacular innings, Australian captain Pat Cummins played the perfect foil, holding one end up by blocking deliveries and not giving his wicket away.
Chasing 292 in the World Cup clash against Afghanistan the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, Australia were in all sorts of trouble at 91/7 in the 19th over. However, Maxwell and Cummins (12* off 68) added an unbroken 202 runs for the eighth wicket to lift Australia to a three-wicket win. The victory also confirmed the five-time champions’ place in the semi-finals of the ICC event.
While Maxwell clobbered 21 fours and 10 sixes in his unbelievable knock, Cummins hit only one four in his innings and finished with a strike rate of 17.65. What mattered most, though, was the fact that he did not throw his wicket away.
ICC hailed Cummins’ underrated contribution to Australia’s famous win by sharing a clip of his knock in which he is seen defending deliveries with a straight bat, allowing Maxwell to swing his bat freely at the other end.
The video was shared on ICC’s Instagram handle was shared with the caption:
“Every Batman needs a Robin 😎.”
Australia’s triumph on Tuesday was their sixth consecutive win in the 2023 World Cup after they began the competition with losses to India and South Africa.
Pat Cummins hails Glenn Maxwell for playing “greatest ODI innings”
Speaking after the memorable win, Australian captain Cummins lavished praise on Maxwell. He went on to describe the aggressive batter’s knock against Afghanistan as the “greatest ODI innings that's ever happened”.
"I mean, just ridiculous. I don't know how you describe this. Great win but Maxy was out of this world. It's got to be the greatest ODI innings that's ever happened. We were just chatting and I think it's just one of those days where you go, yep when that happened; I was here at the stadium. And we feel very lucky to be here," he stated.
On his amazing partnership with the “Big Show”, Cummins added:
"Couldn't get strike! [smiles]. You let Maxy actually do his thing. I mean, how am I going say anything to someone who's playing like that.”
Australia’s last league match in the 2023 World Cup will be against Bangladesh in Pune on November 11.