Record-breaking Maxwell scripts epic victory for Australia against Afghanistan

Glenn Maxwell's record-breaking double hundred scripted an epic fightback victory for Australia against Afghanistan at Mumbai on Tuesday.

Fighting back spasms, Maxwell scored 201 off 128 balls htting 21 boundaries and 10 maximums to take Australia home after an unbeaten 202-run partnership with Pat Cummins.

Maxwell got to his hundred in just 76 balls in a 100-plus stand with captain Pat Cummins, who was happy to block, block and block. When their 8th wicket partnership went past 100, Cummins had only chipped in with 8 runs. He took 52 more balls to reach his first-ever double hundred.

Maxwell sucked the belief out of the Afghanistan bowlers as he kept going on with his big-hitting charge, putting the pressure right back on Hashmatullah Shahidi and his men.

It was Maxwell's 3rd World Cup hundred and 2nd in the ongoing edition. Maxwell had hit the fastest World Cup hundred in just 40 balls when he took down the Netherlands in Delhi.

Australia were four down inside the powerplay in a 292-run chase against Afghanistan. Naveen-ul-Haq and Azmatullah Omarzai swung the ball prodigiously up front and put the five-time world champions in trouble.

Naveen started it all as he got Travis Head to nick one behind. Mitchell Marsh looked strong but Naveen's nip-backer was too good for him.

Omarzai was taken to the cleaners in his first over but got David Warner and Josh Inglis out in consecutive deliveries to put Afghanistan on top.

Marcus Stoinis was the fifth batter to bite the dust as he was run out.

Australia were staring down the barrel after they were seven down but Maxwell and Cummins are now fighting it out.