How Australia’s World Cup campaign was revived by Glenn Maxwell in Bangalore
When Australia’s World Cup defence looked down and out, their X-factor — and most maligned figure — taught them how to win again. And he did it more than 8,000km from the home of cricket.
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Glenn Maxwell’s finest Twenty20 innings lit the fuse for Australia’s World Cup charge that is just two knockout wins away from a sixth trophy.
Strike weapon Pat Cummins said Maxwell’s unbeaten 113 (55), which delivered Australia a 2-0 series win in India last February, was the light bulb moment when this team realised it was world cricket’s sleeping force.
A spirited Australia then dropped the first two ODIs against India — giving it a 4-22 recent record — but a squad thrown together just weeks earlier had already clicked.
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The Aussies went on to win the next three ODIs to steal a memorable 3-2 series win in India, whitewashed Pakistan 5-0 in Dubai and then welcomed back Steve Smith, David Warner and Mitchell Starc.
They are now 7-1 in the World Cup and can lock in top spot with victory against South Africa on Saturday night.
“At Bangalore, Maxi hit a hundred and we won seemingly out of nowhere,” Cummins said.
“It gave us a real confidence. Against the best side in the world, in their own conditions, it really felt like a special group, a couple of really special wins where we felt like we could win from anywhere.
“It's pretty infectious when you have that feeling around the group. Luckily, we have held on to it.”
While Maxwell’s highest T20 score is a 145 not-out (65) when he opened against Sri Lanka in 2016, that knock in India helped Australia chase down 190 against an attack led by Jasprit Bumrah.
Maxwell also topscored in the first T20, making 56 (43).
Rewind six months and Cummins said no player was certain they would be picked for the World Cup as Australia became the laughing stock of 50-over cricket.
Jason Behrendorff said faith from selectors helped with Pete Handscomb and Ashton Turner the only casualties from the ODI series against India and Pakistan, sacrificed for Smith and warner.
“It’s hard when the team chops and changes,” he said.
“It’s something you’ve seen with a lot of the good teams over long periods of time, their team doesn’t change a huge amount. Guys gel together really well.”
Cummins said he was “really happy” with his form but conceded it was a “massive change” bowling first change, given the swing dries up when the new balls are just a few overs old.
“It's a lot different to say, red-ball cricket, where the ball kind of stays hard and there might be some swing on offer,” he said.
“Outside of those first eight to 10 overs, there is no swing, the ball is not as hard.
“Normally the batters are set. My role is to just try and hold them a little bit and hopefully they take a risk.”
Left-armers Behrendorff and Mitchell Starc have taken the new balls in the past two games, a tactical move made by captain Aaron Finch.
Cummins’ girlfriend Becky is from Yorkshire and they were set to travel there for the two days off the players were given in Manchester.
Plenty hit the golf course on Monday while Smith and Ricky Ponting watched the England-India match on TV together on Sunday.
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