Selfless Maxwell falls short of ODI ton

Glenn Maxwell couldn't care less about falling painfully short a century.

"I'm not going to look back on my career when I'm done and think about all the hundreds I've missed," said the allrounder after Australia's tense six-run win over Pakistan in Dubai.

"I'm going to think about the wins we had."

Skipper Aaron Finch lauded Maxwell for his selflessness after his match-turning 82-ball 98 set up the closest of Australia's seven consecutive one-day international victories.

QUICK SINGLE Maxwell lifts Aussies in tense win

Rather than take an easy single and chase just the second ODI ton of his career, Maxwell put the team first in the final over of Australia's innings when he attempted a bold second run and was caught well short of his ground.

It was a telling gesture from a man who has specifically been called out in the recent past for not scoring enough hundreds and who has been out in the nineties five times in ODIs – one shy of Adam Gilchrist’s Australian record of six.

"You can never accuse Glenn of being selfish, the way he plays," Finch told the host broadcaster. "He does everything for the team."

With game-defining knocks in his side's last two wins over Pakistan, not to mention taking on increased roles with both the ball and tactically along his close friend Finch, the 30-year-old has shown he’s the complete package in 50-over cricket ahead of Australia's World Cup defence.

Aussies remain perfect with tight win

Maxwell's knock was one of most mature of his international career; after the Aussies slumped to 5-140, he put on 134 with Alex Carey (55 off 67) but struggled for timing at stages, before exploding with a series of breathtaking strokes late in the innings.

The off-spinner then bowled three vital overs at the death, conceding just one boundary, with a ball made slippery and heavy from the dew.

That was despite having had to leave the field earlier in Pakistan's innings after feeling dizzy. His knock had come in sapping heat and he'd hardly eaten in the lead-in to the match.

"It would have been nice to get a hundred but I was really happy with the way I played today," said Maxwell.

"To put that partnership on with Carey, to get us to a total we thought we could defend - I was really proud of the way I went about it. The hundred doesn't really matter too much to me.

"I've made a lot of mistakes as a middle-order batter (in the past) and not quite made it to the time when I can go (attack).

"It was nice to be there for the back end and delay the bigger hitting until a little bit later when we felt like we could comfortably get to a total we could defend.

"The last two games I've come in a bit earlier when we've lost a few wickets back to back and there's been a little bit of pressure on when I’ve gone out.

"It's actually been nice to get through that, be able to get myself in and not just go out and play a cameo knock in the last 10 overs."

'Not going to think about 100s I missed'

Australia's win streak is their longest since the 2015 World Cup and continues the stunning U-turn of their one-day form.

"If you look back six to seven months ago, probably even less, we were probably on the other side of it," Maxwell continued. "We were finding ways to lose when we were in winning positions.

"It's a funny thing winning momentum. When you're winning games, you just find a way to win.

"That's the great thing about this group at the moment. We're finding ways to win in different conditions, different ways."

Qantas Tour of the UAE

First ODI: Australia won by eight wickets

Second ODI: Australia won by eight wickets

Third ODI: Australia won by 80 runs

Fourth ODI: Australia won by six runs

Fifth ODI: v Pakistan, March 31 in Dubai

(all matches begin at 10pm AEDT)