Glenn Maxwell plays the greatest Cricket World Cup innings ever with stunning 201 not out to beat Afghanistan

Australia star Glenn Maxwell has played the greatest Cricket World Cup innings ever to rescue his team from the brink against Afghanistan - and did so with severe cramp.

Maxwell came in when Australia were stranded on 49 for three, still needing 243 runs to beat Afghanistan at the Wankhede Stadium.

It then got worse for the Aussies as they fell to 91 to seven shortly after.

The all-rounder was effectively his side's last hope as wickets fell around him, and flicked into another gear once Mitchell Starc was deemed to have been caught behind by wicketkeeper Ikram Alikhil.

What happened next was beyond anyone's belief or expectations.

Maxwell, who missed Saturday's game against England with concussion after falling off a golf cart, went down with cramp halfway through his innings.

His body continued to break down, with his entire body going into cramp and forcing him to lay grounded after passing the hundred mark.

But despite being effectively unable to move, Maxwell carried on going.

He was ably supported by captain Pat Cummins, who did all he had to do by standing at the other end and watching the carnage unfold. In the circumstances, scoring 12 off 68 balls was one of the most important innings of the tournament.

And as the runs continued to tick down, Maxwell continued to smash fours and sixes at will.

And in what proved to be the final over of the match, bowled by Mujeeb Ur Rahman, the 35-year-old smashed him for three sixes and a four to bring up a historic, incredible double century.

The sight of Maxwell stood, almost rigid to the spot, for the second half of his innings, yet continuing to blast the Afghanistan bowlers to all parts of the Wankhede Stadium, will go down in cricketing folklore.

The innings was huge in the context of the tournament, with a defeat for Australia potentially meaning they would have to beat Bangladesh in their final game to qualify for the semi-final.

But Maxwell's incredible feat means that is no longer an issue, with Cummins' side through to the final. You can't write scripts for that man.

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