Image Credit- Getty
Glenn Maxwell, who hit the fastest ODI World Cup
century off just 40 balls in Australia’s crushing victory over the Netherlands
in Delhi, said that he is sometimes too conscious of the fastest century
records and chases them to his own cost.
At the same venue, a few weeks prior, Aiden Markram of
South Africa set a record that Maxwell completely destroyed. A ball short of
Kevin O’Brien’s then-record of 50 against England in 2011, Maxwell also holds
the fourth fastest World Cup century off 51 balls against Sri Lanka in 2015.
“I’m very aware of them,” Maxwell said.
“I’m very aware of balls faced. I love the fastest 50, fastest 100
records. I think they’re pretty cool records. Sometimes to the detriment of
myself, I’ve always probably pushed the boundaries a bit too much.
“I think against Afghanistan in 2015, I was 88
off [38] and I was like ‘I’m getting it in the next two balls’. I hit one
straight to cover and butchered it. I think I got my fastest hundred next game.
“I’ve been in those positions before where I
could make fast hundreds when I get on the run – I know I’m difficult to bowl
to. It’s just about getting past the first ball.”
The previous game against Pakistan, where the ideal
conditions had been set for him to do something similar, had ended in a chaotic
first-ball slog, and Maxwell admitted that the circumstances of the game and
his own health had calmed him.
“I was sitting in the changing room and I didn’t
really want to bat, which is a bit different than last game where I was way too
eager to get out there,” Maxwell said. “We talked about over-arousal
levels and I probably reached double maximum [against Pakistan] if you couldn’t
tell. But I was a little bit more chilled when I got out there. I didn’t have
many high hopes. I’ve been pretty cooked the last couple of days.”