Ponting’s Call: Australia to Harness Inspiration from Maxwell’s Heroic Innings for World Cup Victory
Ricky Ponting lauds Glenn Maxwell’s phenomenal 201 not out, urging Australia to derive inspiration for World Cup success. Maxwell’s historic innings propels Australia into the semi-finals.
Two-time Men’s ODI World Cup-winning captain Ricky Ponting expressed his admiration for Glenn Maxwell’s extraordinary innings of 201 not out off 128 balls against Afghanistan. Ponting wishes for Australia to draw immense inspiration from Maxwell’s stellar performance, turning it into a rallying point as they aim for their sixth World Cup title.
Facing a challenging situation at 91/7 in a run-chase of 292 at the Wankhede Stadium, Maxwell, in partnership with Pat Cummins, orchestrated a remarkable 202-run stand. While the skipper contributed 12 runs, Maxwell battled cramps in his calf, shin, hamstring, and toes, along with a bad back, showcasing incredible resilience to single-handedly secure a historic victory.
Ponting emphasized the importance of belief in winning from any situation, citing the great teams he has played with. He stated, “All the great teams that I’ve played with and all the great teams that I’ve been around have always had that belief that they can win from anywhere, and literally anywhere, even World Cup campaigns that I played in.”
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Highlighting Australia’s knack for winning crucial moments in World Cups, Ponting expressed confidence in the team’s ability to seize big opportunities. He commended the squad for their come-from-behind victory against Afghanistan, securing their sixth consecutive win at the World Cup.
Reflecting on Maxwell’s historic innings, Ponting remarked, “I have been around a lot of games playing and calling, and I have never seen anything like that, and I’ll be very surprised if I see anything like that ever again.” Comparing it to Ben Stokes’ Test innings in the 2019 Ashes, Ponting believes Maxwell’s innings surpasses it in significance for the Australian cricket team, propelling them into the World Cup semi-finals.
As of now, Australia is set to face South Africa in the semi-finals, and Ponting concluded, “It was the most remarkable thing you’ve probably ever seen in cricket.”