CHENNAI: When Glenn Maxwell took strike against Azmatullah Omarzai in the ninth over of the chase, it seemed like history was unfolding at the Wankhede Stadium.
Australia, chasing 292, were 49/4. Omarzai was on a hat-trick after breaching through David Warner's defences before removing Josh Inglis, who was caught in the cordon. At this point, Afghanistan were on course.
Maxwell was lucky to survive the hat-trick ball - a sharp outswinger from over the wicket pitched on middle before curving away. As he has always done, Maxwell brought his bat down the curve. The ball took the outside edge right in front of the middle-stump, almost missing the off before reaching the keeper on the bounce.
Such was the delivery that Afghanistan took a review to understand it was bat and not pad. Maxwell survived. It was the first sign about the kind of night the all-rounder, who had returned to the XI post a concussion thanks to a fall from a golf cart, was about to have.
Looking at the other end, his head-ache may have worsened as a procession was taking place. Marnus Labuschagne was run out. Soon after, Rashid Khan removed Marcus Stoinis and Mitchell Starc. 91/7. The ask? 201 runs. In the middle? Maxwell and Pat Cummins.
The stage was set. All that was needed for the Maxwell production to take off was some drama.
It began in the 22nd over. Maxwell was trapped on the pads by Noor Ahmed. The Australian reviewed. He saw two reds and started walking off only to realise that the ball was missing. He survived. After a reverse sweep to four in the same over, something else happened. Mujeeb Ur Rahman dropped Maxwell at short fine leg, giving him a life. Again. This was it. It was going to be one of those days where he could do no wrong.
He might have fallen off a golf cart last Monday but his luck seems to have turned . And Maxwell being Maxwell did not miss out. He brought out his golf-like-bat-swing to hit Rashid on the leg side apart from slog-sweeping against Noor before slicing him downtown. Cover drive against the spin to take on Mujeeb.
It might have given hope, but Australia were not even halfway. At this stage, they needed 147 from 22 overs. What did Maxwell do? Smash consecutive sixes off Noor. The edges would miss the fielders and run to the boundary. The scoops would be middled. The flat-batted sixes would come along. In no time, Maxwell sailed from 60 to yet another World Cup century. Captain Pat Cummins at the other end, was batting on eight from 37 balls. To call it a one man show would do this exhibition of showmanship would be an understatement.
In an increasingly desperate attempt to stop Maxwell, Hashmatullah Shahidi would turn to the most experienced teammate - Mohammad Nabi. At this point, apart from the chase and dropped catches, there was more drama to what was happening on the field. Maxwell had been cramping. He was also having back spasms. At various points, he was on his haunches. He even preferred to use the grass as a bed as he was prone.
Being him is not easy. Given his potential and his ability, the Australian has often been criticized for things he has missed out rather than being appreciated for what he has done. He has seen that season after season, year after year, especially during the Indian Premier League. In his ten years of international cricket, only twice has he gone past 600 ODI runs in a calendar year - one of them coming in 2015 when Australia won the World Cup. Maxwell knows what it is to be down and out and constantly on the radar than most. And he knows when he is in a zone and the need to make the most of it.
On Tuesday, in the heat and humidity of Mumbai, Maxwell was huffing and puffing, pulling his leg every time he ran, but he knew better than to walk off the field. He knew it was his day and he was not going to let go of it. He sent back Adam Zampa who was set to walk in when he was lying flat on the field.
Maxwell stood in his crease and swatted his bat like one would wave at a mosquito and yet still sent the ball to the ropes or into the stands. He would reverse cut from the brink of off-stump, clip a yorker between the legs, flick over short-fine, slap over wide long on - all the while not even moving his foot. Not because he did not want to, but because he couldn't. Watching him defy the rules of batting was pure cinema.
And when it was clear that he was going to take the team across the line, Maxwell aimed to be more - the first Australian male cricketer to hit a double century. He and the team needed 21 runs.
Maxwell vs Mujeeb. 47th over. Six. Six. Four. Six. Australia across the line and into the semis, and Maxwell 201 from 128 balls - 21 fours, 10 sixes, strike rate 157.03. Cummins 12 not out from 68 at the other end. Pretty much summed up the movie that was Maxwell's fury on Tuesday. It was the kind of knock one would dream about playing as a ten-year-old, sitting in a classroom, to save their team.
Words will do little justice as to what Maxwell did. Even he himself could not. But as Maxwell said after the match, he had his chances, and made the most of it to play what is arguably the greatest ODI knock of all time. And that is something he will always be proud of.