While many former cricketers and fans have said that Glenn Maxwell’s incredible knock against Afghanistan is the greatest ODI innings they have ever seen, former India captain Sourav Ganguly, another legend of the game, disagrees.
Maxwell became the first non-opener batsman to hit a double century in ODIs; he’s also the first Australian men’s ODI double centurion, and he shattered a spate of records, and all of Afghanistan’s hearts with his marvelous knock.
With Pat Cummins in support, Maxwell took Australia from 91/7 to chase down the target of 292. The latter part of his innings was simply astonishing as he was batting virtually on one leg due to cramps in one leg. He finished with 201* in 128 balls, walloping 12 fours and 10 sixes in his sensational innings.
Fans and ex-cricketers on social media and news channels erupted in astonishment and many hailed this innings from Glenn Maxwell as the greatest ODI innings; it also sealed Australia’s place in the World Cup 2023 semi-finals.
Fantastic innings but Not the best of bowling and captaincy: Sourav Ganguly
Former BCCI President and former India skipper Sourav Ganguly said that in his opinion, this knock from Maxwell against Afghanistan wasn’t the greatest ODI innings. He credited Maxwell for his batting, but also lamented some poor bowling from the Afghanistan bowlers and ordinary captaincy from Hashmatullah Shahidi, the Afghan skipper.
Sourav Ganguly reckons he’s seen greater knocks from the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli than the one Maxwell produced against Afghanistan.
When asked if Maxwell’s innings for the greatest ODI innings ever, Sourav Ganguly said on RevSportz: “No no. I have seen some fantastic innings. From Sachin. From Virat. It was a fantastic innings [from Maxwell]. [But] Not the best of bowling and captaincy [from Afghanistan] but a fantastic innings.”
Meanwhile, Australia have booked a semi-final match against South Africa. The semi-final between Australia and South Africa will be played in Kolkata on November 16.
