Maxwell innings a breakthrough: Finch

Powerful Australian opener Aaron Finch believes Glenn Maxwell's exhilarating 74 against Pakistan was a breakthrough innings for the super-talented batsman.

Maxwell's stunning innings, which came off just 33 deliveries and included six sixes, was not quite enough to carry Australia home but Finch said it introduced him as one of the stars of international Twenty20 cricket.

"I think everyone knows he has that kind of innings in him, to do it against such a quality attack on a difficult wicket was unbelievable," Finch, who scored 65 against Pakistan, said.

"He hit the ball out of the middle from ball one and then just took the game right away from them and got us into a position to almost canter over the line and I probably stuffed it up from there."

One of the Indian Premier League's $1 million dollar men, Maxwell had underachieved in the format internationally - having never passed 27 in his previous 13 innings - and he's been called out by coach Darren Lehmann for failing to live up to his enormous potential in the past.

But the 25-year-old crushed all his international game demons with one swashbuckling innings, Finch believes.

"Absolutely it was a breakthrough innings for him," Finch said.

"I think Boof (Lehmann) has been very critical of him in the past about getting into a position to win a game.

"And what he did (against Pakistan) was unbelievable.

"The way that he struck them was outstanding and the pleasing thing was he came out and did it from ball one.

"Chasing 191 (with Australia) two for eight to have the confidence and the backing of the captain and the coach to just walk out and play your own game and play how you want to play was unbelievable.

"It's a hard situation sometimes when you do come in at number four. It's such a swing position.

"You're either trying to maintain momentum or pick up the pieces and his counter-attacking last night was unbelievable.

"At that time I couldn't hit them. The way that he just took up the slack for me was nice.

"He got the game moving forward so quickly that we did get ourselves into a position to win."