In 2008, following Kevin Pietersen’s liberal use of the switch-hit against New Zealand, the MCC were asked to rule on the legitimacy of the shot. In June 2012, after Pietersen was warned in Sri Lanka for time-wasting, as Tillakaratne Dilshan continually refused to release the ball when Pietersen began readjusting his hands, the ICC ruled in favour of the switch-hit, “making no change in the current regulations” to outlaw the stroke.

But for all the kerfuffle KP has created over the shot, he has arguably never nailed one quite like David Warner did one night at the SCG.

With Australia opening the batting in the first Twenty20 international, Ravichandran Ashwin keeps Warner in check from around the wicket; varying his pace and length, much to the frustration of the Sydney faithful. The pair are reunited in the third over; Warner hacks desperately at a ball but only skews to mid-off, for no run. And then it happened.

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As Ashwin runs in Warner changes to a right-hand grip. Ashwin adjusts, bowling flatter and a foot wide of what was originally leg stump, forcing Warner to commit to his decision to swap hands; he extends out to the ball, bowing to one knee, before slog-sweeping the ball with an audibly crisp crack of the bat, over what is now long on, for what is later confirmed on the big screen as a 100m maximum.

A perfect moment of spontaneous invention, 12 years in the making. At 13, Warner’s coach was concerned that he hit too many balls in the air. To remedy the issue, he suggested that perhaps a season batting right-handed would improve the strength of Warner’s left hand (his bottom hand for the summer), thus increasing his control on his top hand when he reverted back to type.

So it was that in 2009, during a middle practice at The Oval on Australia’s tour of England, Warner – exasperated by the amount of turn teammate Nathan Hauritz was getting – started batting right-handed, planting sixes into the vacant stands. Team coach Tim Nielsen, bemused and impressed, suggested Warner make use of his talents during a match. Since then, Warner has routinely spent the last five minutes of his net sessions with his left foot forward.