He also said that he was in control throughout what looked like a hitting frenzy and fully conscious that he was on track to reclaim the record.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m very aware of balls faced,\u201d he said. \u201cI love the fastest 50, fastest 100 records. I think they\u2019re pretty cool records. Sometimes to the detriment of myself, I\u2019ve always probably pushed the boundaries a bit too much.\u201d<\/p>\n
In Australia\u2019s previous match against Pakistan in Bangalore, Maxwell came to the crease after a big opening partnership and slogged a catch first ball. Since, his wife Vini Raman and infant son Logan have joined him and a bug forced him to lie low.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was sitting in the changing room and I didn\u2019t really want to bat, which is a bit different than last game where I was way too eager to get out there,\u201d he said. \u201cWe talked about over-arousal levels and I probably reached double maximum if you couldn\u2019t tell.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was a little bit more chilled when I got out there. I didn\u2019t have many high hopes. I\u2019ve been pretty cooked the last couple of days. Coincided with the sleepless night last night with the family over.<\/p>\n
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Glenn Maxwell made the fastest hundred in World Cup history from just 40 balls.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>AP<\/cite><\/p>\n Maxwell said the fall of David Warner and Cameron Green soon after he arrived at the crease had tempered his approach, believe it or not.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a bit weird that I had to calm myself down for the first 20 odd balls and rebuild,\u201d he said. \u201cI felt like I was super-selective. Even with the boundaries I was hitting, until I got to about 50 or 60, I was literally hitting them flat through the gap or picking my spots pretty clearly where I wanted to go. It was only the back end where I tried to just pump everything.<\/p>\n \u201cI think I get to a stage I suppose when I\u2019m batting at the back end and I\u2019ve got a read on the game I can sort of don\u2019t try too much out of the ordinary. I don\u2019t really lap, I didn\u2019t really go inside out over cover, I didn\u2019t sort of give my stumps away too much.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I reversed a couple of times but that\u2019s only because I had a read on what they were trying to do. I didn\u2019t really try and take a fielder on. I knew if I could play one or two, I\u2019d get a different type of ball. Then I could cash in on that. And I just felt really clear at the back end. I was able to stand quite still. And I felt I hit the ball where it needed to be hit.\u201d<\/p>\n Australia\u2019s Glenn Maxwell celebrates his century.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>AP<\/cite><\/p>\n Altogether, Maxwell hit nine fours and eight sixes. One was especially memorable, to himself as well as spectators.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought I was out: the reverse of (Logan) Van Beek that went for six over backward point,\u201d he said. \u201cI thought it was going to be slower into the wicket or back of the length and he bowled it full at I think middle and off. And luckily enough my hand speed got me out of trouble.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel like tonight I actually gave myself a chance to be able to play those shots at the back end. I was in the stage of rebuilding, trying to get through and trying to bat as long as I possibly could. I just haven\u2019t probably had the opportunity. Last game, I had the opportunity and threw it away.\u201d<\/p>\n Maxwell\u2019s onslaught culminated in the 49th over when he smashed 28 from Bas de Leede\u2019s medium pacers, including three successive sixes, the last delivering him to his century.<\/p>\n Maxwell with captain Pat Cummins at the crease.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty Images<\/cite><\/p>\n \u201cI think if you can put pressure on a certain bowler and get a hold of them a couple of times in a row, you can produce mistakes,\u201d he said.\u201cI felt that was what I did in the 49th over. I was able to put pressure on his good balls to get bad balls, where I could actually hit for sixes.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s remarkable to think that it is less than a year since Maxwell badly broke his leg in a birthday party accident, imperilling his career. He said he was frustrated when a setback during a T20 series in South Africa recently forced him to go home.<\/p>\n \u201cYou do start to get some dark thoughts: is this going to affect me for the whole World Cup?\u201d he said. \u201cAm I going to be struggling to get through every game? Am I going to be letting the team down by having to field in cold zones on the field where I\u2019m not getting much ball?<\/p>\n \u201cThat wouldn\u2019t have sat well with me. The fact that I don\u2019t have to be hidden in the field is quite nice.\u201d<\/p>\n To complete his night\u2019s work, Maxwell made a direct hit run-out from mid-on.<\/p>\n The only thing that troubled him on the night was a flashing light show during a drinks break, in which Maxwell held his hands over his face. He said it was reminiscent of a night in Perth once during the Big Bash.<\/p>\n \u201cIt gave me shocking headaches and it takes me a while for my eyes to readjust,\u201d he said. \u201cI think it\u2019s the dumbest idea for cricketers when you\u2019ve got this thing coming at you quickly and your eyes take so long to adjust.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019d just lost a wicket and the Perth stadium lights went nuts and I was at the other end and it took me ages to get my eyes to go again and I had a headache – so I (now) just try and cover up as much as I possibly can and ignore it.<\/p>\n \u201cBut it\u2019s a horrible, horrible idea. Great for the fans, horrible for the players.\u201d<\/p>\n News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport sent every Monday. <\/i><\/b>Sign up for our Sport newsletter<\/i><\/b>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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