'He was struggling big time': Australia physio on Glenn Maxwell's epic World Cup knock

Glenn Maxwell came up with a valiant double hundred to guide Australia to a thrilling World Cup win against Afghanistan on Tuesday. Maxwell remained unbeaten on 201 as Australia earned a three-wicket win to qualify for the semifinals.

Coming in to bat in a precarious situation, the Aussie all-rounder tactfully encountered the Afghan bowlers. But the Afghan bowling was not the only threat that Maxwell had to deal with. His own fitness issues and injury troubles put Maxwell in a spot of bother. Australia cricket team’s physiotherapist Nick Jones has now opened up on the status of Maxwell’s fitness.

"He was struggling big time but I said to Glenn initially, 'look, I think your best bet is to get you up off the ground'," Jones was quoted as saying by Cricket Australia.

“You're lying down, other things are going to cramp, we need you up on your feet, we need to stretch the key muscle groups that are going. But if you stay on your feet and minimise your running, I think you can stay out here. I think that's your best bet’. I explained that to Patty … we need to keep him out there and keep him going," he added.

Having bowled 10 overs in 34-degree heat and over 80 percent humidity at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, Maxwell was suffering from cramps.

Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.

Jones had to come on the field multiple times in order to treat Maxwell. On several occasions, it appeared that Maxwell would come off the field retired hurt. Defying all odds, the 35-year-old kept on batting.

Maxwell even refused to take singles with more than 50 runs needed for Australia to win. There was even one point when he collapsed midway through the 41st over.

In one of the videos shared by the official Instagram handle of the International Cricket Council (ICC), Maxwell can be seen battling cramps. As Maxwell lied on the ground, the post shared an uncanny similarity between the Aussie cricketer and legendary World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) star The Undertaker. “It's the U̶n̶d̶e̶r̶t̶a̶k̶e̶r̶ [Undertaker] Big Show,” read the caption.

• Watch: Babar Azam plays golf ahead of Pakistan's do-or-die World Cup match against England