Mitchell Starc owes Glenn Maxwell a beer, maybe more.
As the Australian batting order collapsed to leave them at 6/87, Starc strolled to the crease to join Maxwell.
Watch every match of The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Live with no ad breaks in play on Kayo Sports. Join Kayo now and start streaming instantly >
But like the majority of those before him, Starc’s innings was over shortly after it began but his dismissal came in truly bizarre fashion.
The Aussie left-arm fast bowler was given out after Afghanistan keeper Ikram Alihkil hauled in a fumbling, diving catch.
Starc was however called out for failing to review the decision, a choice that would have overturned the ruling and kept him at the crease alongside Maxwell.
As replays rolled it was clear the ball had gone past the bat without coming into contact with the edge. The snick heard came after the ball had clipped Starc’s off stump.
Starc’s decision not to review the dismissal left Australia in a deep hole at 7/91, but some fans believe the call may have come after discussion with Maxwell.
Australia only had one review remaining and Starc ultimately may not have been confident in the fact he hadn’t got a faint edge on the ball.
In the end it mattered little as Maxwell unleashed the beast and delivered an innings for the ages as he clobbered an unbeaten 201 to guide Australia to their sixth straight World Cup win and lock up a semi-final spot.
Maxwell picked up the pieces from 7/91 in Australia’s victory target of 292, putting on an unbeaten stand of 202 for the eighth wicket with skipper Pat Cummins, who made 12, to achieve victory with 19 balls to spare.
Dropped on 33, Maxwell made Afghanistan pay with an astounding 128-ball innings featuring 21 fours and 10 sixes as he became just the third batsman after New Zealand’s Martin Guptill and West Indies’ Chris Gayle to score a World Cup double century.
Maxwell ended the match in style with nearly three overs to spare when he slammed Mujeeb for another six.
The 35-year-old Maxwell’s highest one-day international score was just his fourth century in 136 matches at this level, but second of the tournament after he scored the fastest hundred in men’s World Cup history, off just 40 balls, against the Netherlands.
