Marauding Maxi finds his balance

Glenn Maxwell found the perfect balance between orthodox and outrageous batting to produce his best innings for Australia in T20 cricket on Sunday.

Maxwell owns arguably the deepest inventory of cricket shots in the world, ranging from the classical cover drive to the baffling 'Bazooka'.

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But under immense pressure with his side in dire straits, the 27-year-old was calm and composed, for the most part, in his career-best knock of 75 from 43 balls which helped Australia reach their massive target of 205 off the final ball of the match.

"It's always great batting with 'Maxi'," said David Warner, Maxwell's partner in crime at the Wanderers.

"He's not really one where you need to go down and say anything to him.

"He makes his mind up for himself and that's the way he plays when he's at his best.

"There were a couple of times there where I said to him 'just keep bat on ball' – he likes to play his little reverse lap – but that's just him, that's how it is.

"Credit to him, without his dig we wouldn't' be in that position (to win the game)."

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Maxwell plundered seven fours and three sixes at the picturesque Johannesburg venue, but two shots in particular highlighted why he is simply must-watch material.

On 43, having just hit Proteas allrounder David Wiese for six back over the bowler's head, the Victorian dug deep into his repertoire of unorthodoxy and pulled out a reverse-ramp shot with an uppercut – a new stroke in front of a gobsmacked capacity crowd.

Wiese obliged with a low full toss outside off-stump and watched on in disbelief as the ball disappeared over the head of short third man and into the advertising boarding beyond the boundary.

His second effort – a signature shot that proved to be the penultimate of his innings – was a reverse-sweep off fast bowler Chris Morris, once again accessing the vacant space behind short third man.

Fans marvel at Maxwell's ability to reverse sweep spin bowling, but when he does it against a fast bowler, one such as Morris who was hitting speeds in excess of 140kph, it's a whole other level.

The allrounder fell next ball, ironically to a more traditional lofted cover drive, but Warner says he backs the innovative stroke play of his teammate, no matter the situation of the game.

"That's something he can do and he's capable of doing," Warner said. "I can't do that. If he can do that, he (should) definitely play it.

"He's won us games, he's come in and scored plenty at the back end when we've batted first. He's an exciting player."

Maxwell and Warner (77 off 40 balls) lit up the Wanderers – a ground with a magnetic attraction for high scores and thrilling finishes – combining for a world-record fourth wicket partnership of 161 as Australia chased down their target of 205 on the final ball of the match.

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The pair came together at 3-32 in the sixth over, but quickly gained the ascendancy, destroying the Proteas through the middle overs – the area where they struggled in game one at Kingsmead.

"We didn't get off to a start so we were behind the eight-ball a little bit, that's why so much credit goes to Davey and Glenn," Australia captain Steve Smith told SuperSport after play.

"I thought they summed up the situation really well, they played Imran Tahir really well tonight and that's been one of our problems – batting between the seventh and the 15th over.

"Today we maximised that period and that really set up the game for us."