ENG vs AUS, ICC World Cup: Australia sweats over the absence of momentum man Maxwell before England clash

Maxwell has scored just 196 runs, but his 148.48 strike rate has been the x-factor. For batters who have faced 100 deliveries or more, the strike rate is second to only Heinrich Klaasen of South Africa.

Maxwell’s obscure injury - a concussion after falling off a golf cart - ruling him out of the clash against arch-rival England. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

For Australia, a World Cup has never been stranger. If succumbing to a five-match losing streak in a World Cup year was not enough, its reverses in the opening two games of the quadrennial tournament - the first time since 1992 - surely had to be.

But on Wednesday, Australia’s campaign encountered another speed bump with Glenn Maxwell’s obscure injury - a concussion after falling off a golf cart - ruling him out of the clash against arch-rival England.

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Australia’s turn in fortune after losses to India and South Africa was led by the batters - in particular, its openers. The side has scored at 7.05 runs per over in PowerPlay 1 this World Cup, which is the highest in the tournament.

David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, and Travis Head, in his solitary appearance, have laid solid foundations. They have powered their side to mammoth PowerPlay totals - 64 against Sri Lanka, 82 against Pakistan, 66 against the Netherlands, and a jaw-dropping 118 against New Zealand.

The wheels, however, have come off in the middle overs. Australia’s run rate dives off a cliff to 5.58 in the phase. Only Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and the Netherlands are worse. Further, the drop from 7.05 to 5.58 is the worst among the 10 teams in the World Cup.

Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith have chipped in but have come under the scanner for their strike rates. Marcus Stoinis has struggled with injuries, Cameron Green has misfired, and Alex Carey is altogether out of the lineup.

The saving grace amidst this has been Maxwell. In six innings, Maxwell has scored just 196 runs, but his 148.48 strike rate has been the x-factor. For batters who have faced 100 deliveries or more, the strike rate is second to only Heinrich Klaasen of South Africa.

His longest stay at the crease in the last four games was 44 deliveries, against the Netherlands, where he slammed the fastest World Cup ton. Maxwell accumulated 106, ensuring Australia got 131 off the final 10.

 Australia‘s Travis Head during practice. | Photo Credit: REUTERS/Amit Dave

That his eye-catching reverse scoops on deliveries pitched at a middle-leg stump line outdid his impact is a separate story. The single innings skewed Australia’s scoring rate in the final 10 overs to 8.64.

Against Sri Lanka, Maxwell walked in to bat with Australia four down for 158 in the 29th over. Maxwell’s 21-ball 31 ensured the target (215) arrived within the next seven overs. It was the 77-run association between Josh Inglis and Marnus Labuschagne where the game turned, but Maxwell’s push, with Marcus Stoinis for company, was a shot in the arm for the net run rate.

In the last match, it was again Maxwell who flicked the switch after Head and Warner’s opening fireworks culminated. The drastic drop in pace from 177/1 in 20 overs to 264/4 after 36.3 was offset by Maxwell’s 24-ball 41. He rekindled the furnace, and in the eight overs he was at the crease, Australia added 61. Pat Cummins took over for the final flourish, but the tide turned when Maxwell walked out to the middle.

The only game Maxwell was pulled out of the middle order, against Pakistan, Australia fell from 325/3 in the 43rd over to 366/9. The last 46 deliveries yielded just 42 runs and cost five wickets. Maxwell, batting at number three, recorded a golden duck.

Maxwell’s absence could not have come at a worse time. The Aussies finally had their act together. They became the first side to notch three successive 350-plus totals in ODIs. They blazed their way to the joint-highest PowerPlay score in World Cups. With four victories on the trot, Australia’s early woes appeared in the rear-view mirror.

England, even at its bruised and battered version in this World Cup, has the might to challenge Australia. The chase for the Champions Trophy berth is the added incentive for Jos Buttler’s men. A loss on Saturday would leave the high-flying Afghanistan prowling to strike.

At eight points from six games, Cummins’ men have their fate in their hands. A couple of wins more, and they could breeze through to the semifinals. Whether they manage to do so depends on how Australia fills the temporary vacuum left by Maxwell.