The age of nail-biting and heart-stopping sport seems to be here to stay.
We saw it with the Springboks and their one-point victories in the Rugby World Cup – and now cricket is showing the same.
Australia vs Afganistan
Australia have snatched victory from Afghanistan – in what has been dubbed by many as the greatest game of One Day International Cricket (ODI) ever played.
It may rival the 2006 clash between South Africa and Australia in Johannesburg, where the Proteas hit a mighty 438 for 9 – with one ball to spare.
But despite this comparison, it shows that the match is not over until the last ball has been bowled.
Afghanistan has been showing fine form in this year’s Cricket World Cup with a shock victory over England.
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Australia almost suffered the same fate in Mumbai this week after being set a target of 292 to win.
Afghan batsman Ibrahim Zadran hit 129 with back up from his teammates adding to the overall tally.
Australia were then put to the test but lost a number of wickets in quick succession.
Their batting collapse left them on 97-7 midway through their innings in what seemed to be heading towards another shock victory foR Afghanistan.
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Enter Glen Maxwell
But then enter allrounder Glenn Maxwell.
As he smashed one four after the next – along with the occasional six – the tables started to turn dramatically.
Sport is an interesting phenomenon – fortunes can change in an instant and hearts are broken.
Staying on strike, Maxwell managed to place the ball over the boundary time and time again.
As the final over approached, the commentator could be heard screaming: “Where is he getting it from?”
On the second last ball, Maxwell smashed it high into the sky, sending the ball into the crowd – and victory.
In all, he hit 201 runs off 128 balls.
This proves once again that a team’s fortunes can change in a flash – and all eleven members must commit to the full match.
History was made in Mumbai this week. But with this being the nature of sport lately, surely there will be more to come.
