AUS vs OMA | Twitter in disbelief as Ilyas blinder resigns extends stunned Maxwell's shocking golden run

‌Australia were out under the pump early on in their T20 World Cup opener against Oman in Barbados and were down to 50/2 by the ninth over after losing their captain Mitchell Marsh. With an impetus to the scoring rate the need of the hour, Glenn Maxwell walked in to bat and had the wily medium pace of Mehran Khan to contend with first up. What followed was a moment that would go down in the annals of Oman cricket history and be recounted as World Cup folklore in the years to come.

Maxwell stretched forward to push the good length delivery between cover and extra cover but the ball stuck in the surface slightly longer than the veteran had anticipated and threw him off his timing. As a result, the Kookaburra hit the willow higher than anticipated and popped off in the air albeit seemingly towards a gap in the inner ring. However, Oman skipper Aqib Ilyas, stationed at catching cover, leapt towards his left and extended both his hands at full-stretch in a freakish exhibition of athleticism. If the sheer agility on display was not impressive enough, the timing of the jump was such that the ball perfectly nestled in between the fielder's palm and stayed there even as Ilyas made impact with the ground.

The Omani contingent immediately wheeled away in celebration while a collective gasp emanated from the crowd. Maxwell, who had registered three ducks in six outings for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League, was left ruminating at his fate for a few moments before he reluctantly walked off in despair. Twitterati certainly had a lot to say about the chaotic incident.

What a catch

Good form

B2B

Superb

Lord Maxi

Where?

Duck king

Back in the game

Brilliant

Duck