Pat Cummins' staggering call on Glenn Maxwell after historic knock at World Cup

Aussie captain Pat Cummins has thrown the highest praise on batting partner Glenn Maxwell having hailed his match-saving innings as the best of all time. Cummins watched on from the other end of the pitch as Maxwell shattered record after record having blasted 201 not out off 128 balls to save Australia and secure a semi-final place.

Cummins and his men were reeling at 7-91 with Afghanistan looking to keep their semi-final fight alive. The cricket world watched on as Rashid Khan and the Afghanistan bowlers ripped through the Aussie batting line-up.

'NOT NICE': Steve Smith in brutal new blow amid Aussie dramas

'NOT GOOD ENOUGH': Ian Healy calls out Aussies over glaring issue

However, with Cummins toiling away having faced 68 balls at the other end of the pitch, Maxwell took it to the bowlers in a fightback that will go down in cricket folklore. Maxwell survived an early dropped catch and didn't look back having battled through cramps as he launched Australia to a famous victory with 19 balls to spare.

And Cummins, who played his key role in anchoring the other end of the wicket to allow Maxwell to score the runs, claimed the allrounder may have produced the greatest One Day International innings of all time.

"I think that's the greatest ODI innings," said Cummins who watched the carnage unfold from the other side of the pitch in Wankhede Stadium. "It's the best I've ever seen, probably the greatest ODI innings ever.

"We're just chatting about it, all the players, and we've decided it's one of those days where you just go 'I was there in the stadium the day Glenn Maxwell chased down that total by himself'. It's just a one-man show.

"I'm up the other end and don't see any gaps in the field, don't see where I'm going to score a boundary - and yet it seems like every time he sees that, it still just runs away for four. It looks so easy. He still can't move, and yet still manages to hit a six over the third man with a reverse – he's a freak."

Pat Cummins' hilarious quip over Glenn Maxwell innings

Maxwell and Cummins' combined 202 goes down as the highest in cricket history for an eighth wicket partnership. But Cummins' role in the partnership can't be told in stats with the captain seeing out the dangerous Afghanistan bowlers to allow Maxwell to produce his scintillating knock.

And Cummins couldn't help but take a joke at the situation on social media over his role 12 runs in the partnership. "A lot of credit should go to Maxi, he played his role beautifully," Cummins joked.

Commentator Ian Smith was interviewed after calling the innings and claimed he might never see anything like Maxwell's knock again. "It's easy to say it's the greatest. But I've never seen anything like it. And I doubt I will ever see anything like it again," Smith said.

Most fans agreed with Smith's description and lauded Maxwell for the rare moment. White ball legends such as Sachin Tendulkar and AB de Villiers were full of praise for the Australian.

Maxwell's knock of 201 not out eclipsed Shane Watson's 184 as the highest-ever ODI score from an Australian. It also marked just the third time in history that a batter has surpassed 200 at the World Cup, joining Martin Guptill (237 not out in 2015) and Chris Gayle (215 in 2015).

Australia will now play South Africa in the semi-final of the World Cup with India's opponent still to be decided.

Sign up to our newsletter and score the biggest sport stories of the week.