NEW DELHI: Glenn Maxwell admitted he "wasn't expecting" to hit a record 40-ball Cricket World Cup century on Wednesday.
Maxwell, nicknamed 'The Big Show' for his flamboyant hitting, clubbed eight fours and eight sixes in his run blitz as Australia piled up 399-8 against the Netherlands in New Delhi.
On a record-shattering day, five-time champions Australia went on to bowl out the Dutch for just 90, completing a World Cup record 309-run rout.
Maxwell's stunning assault bettered the record of South Africa's Aiden Markram who blasted a century off 49 balls against Sri Lanka at the same venue 18 days ago.
"It feels pretty good. I have been pretty cooked today so I wasn't expecting much but it probably cleared my head a little bit to be able to go out there and play," said Maxwell.
It was also the fourth fastest century in all ODIs.
South Africa's AB de Villiers leads the way with his 31-ball century against the West Indies in Johannesburg in 2015.
New Zealander Corey Anderson reached three figures off 36 balls against the West Indies at Queenstown in 2014 while Shahid Afridi of Pakistan made a century from 37 deliveries facing Sri Lanka in Nairobi back in 1996.
The 35-year-old Maxwell, playing in his 133rd ODI, was eventually out for 104, just short of his career best 108 made against England in Manchester in 2020.
It was also comfortably his best score of this World Cup -- his highest before Wednesday was 31 not out against Sri Lanka in Lucknow.
"I was just trying to get a read on the bowlers because I felt like I had enough time to change and adapt. Generally I am just trying to get any reverse sweeps over the infield.
"I thought the Netherlands were outstanding. It felt like they saved some certain boundaries in the first 25-30 overs."
After being named man of the match, Maxwell added: "It's like a perfect game, when you get 400 and bowl a team out for under 100. We've had three good wins now and will look to build on that momentum."
Australia skipper Pat Cummins, who was at the crease with Maxwell as he launched the Dutch bowlers to all parts of the stadium, described his team-mate as "a freak."
Dutch bowler Bas de Leede ended with figures of 2-115 -- the worst ever ODI performance.
"That was crazy," said Cummins of Maxwell. "That was just a freak show, you've got no options as a bowler when someone is running as hot as that.
"It's the cleanest hitting you're going to see." -- AFP
Fastest ODI hundreds
Fastest overall ODI hundreds after Glenn Maxwell on Wednesday hit the fastest century in a World Cup game (total runs, balls to reach 100, name, match, venue, season):
149 31 AB de Villiers South Africa v West Indies Johannesburg 18/01/2015
131 not out 36 C Anderson New Zealand v West Indies Queenstown 01/01/2014
102 37 Shahid Afridi Pakistan v Sri Lanka Nairobi 04/10/1996
106 40 G Maxwell Australia v Netherlands New Delhi 25/10/2023
101 not out 41 Asif Khan UAE v Nepal Kirtipur 16/03/2023
147 not out 44 M Boucher South Africa v Zimbabwe Potchefstroom 20/09/2006
117 45 B Lara West Indies v Bangladesh Dhaka 09/10/1999
102 45 Shahid Afridi Pakistan v India Kanpur 15/04/2005
104 46 J Ryder New Zealand v West Indies Queenstown 01/01/2014
116 not out 46 J Buttler England v Pakistan Dubai 20/11/2015
162 not out 47 J Buttler England v Netherlands Amstelveen 17/06/2022
134 48 S Jayasuriya Sri Lanka v Pakistan Singapore 02/04/1996
106 49 A Markram South Africa v Sri Lanka New Delhi 07/10/2023
110 not out 50 J Buttler England v Pakistan Southampton 11/05/2019
113 50 K O'Brien Ireland v England Bengaluru 02/03/2011
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