"The best ODI knock ever" - Aakash Chopra lauds Glenn Maxwell's double century in Australia's 2023 World Cup win vs Afghanistan
Aakash Chopra has labeled Glenn Maxwell's double century in Australia's 2023 World Cup win against Afghanistan the best ODI knock ever.
Afghanistan set Australia a 292-run target in their league-stage clash in Mumbai on Tuesday. Maxwell then smoked an unbeaten 201 off just 128 deliveries to help the Aussies register a three-wicket win with 19 deliveries to spare after they were in dire straits at one stage.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra placed Maxwell's knock on a high pedestal. He said (0:01):
"What did we see? It was incredible, unbelievable and unparalleled. The best ODI knock ever and I am not joking. I am not just talking about the World Cup. Glenn Maxwell has played the best knock to date in ODI cricket."
The former India opener highlighted that he wasn't expecting a double hundred in an ODI run chase. He explained (1:10):
"I was almost convinced that a double century wouldn't come in an ODI run chase. Where do you get an opportunity to do that? It can only happen in the second innings when you are chasing 350-375, and double hundreds are not scored in such scenarios."
Maxwell smashed 21 fours and 10 sixes during his knock. His unbeaten 201-run knock eclipsed Fakhar Zaman's 193-run effort against South Africa as the highest individual score in an ODI run chase.
"He was just swinging his hands and hitting sixes" - Aakash Chopra on Glenn Maxwell
![Glenn Maxwell and Pat Cummins strung together an unbroken 202-run eighth-wicket partnership. [P/C: AP]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/11/90c45-16994129589159-1920.jpg?w=500)
Aakash Chopra pointed out that Glenn Maxwell scored his runs in extremely adverse circumstances. He elaborated (1:30):
"You were chasing 292 and to score 200 in that. The team was 91/7 and to score 200. His leg was not moving, he was playing one-legged, couldn't even walk to the other end, and then to score 200. He was just swinging his hands and hitting sixes."
While acknowledging that Kapil Dev scored a belligerent unbeaten 175 when India were in deep trouble against Zimbabwe in the 1983 World Cup, the cricketer-turned-commentator reckoned nothing could beat Maxwell's knock. He stated:
"Of course, Kapil Dev played a knock when India were 17/5 against Zimbabwe in the 1983 World Cup - no one has seen that, but this has surpassed everything. Double hundreds have been scored earlier, always while batting first, but this was different. There is nothing better than this."
Chopra concluded by saying that it was a once-in-a-lifetime knock. He also praised the Australian all-rounder for becoming the first player to score two centuries in a single edition of the World Cup while batting at No. 5 or below.