Cowboy McCullum Rounds Up The Indians

Brendan McCullum 302 at Wellington

While Australia prepare for the second Test against a bruised and mentally battered South Africa at
Port Elizabeth, the Black Caps have been setting their own records, two stretches of water and almost half the world away.

After India had breezed to huge first innings lead at the Basin Reserve at 4 an over, Zaheer Khan had torn though a top order that was without former skipper Ross Taylor, widely acknowledged as the best bat the Black Caps have got.

New Zealand had won the first Test by a narrow enough margin after making only 105 in the second innings of that match and had failed to reach 200 in the first innings at Wellington. Only skipper Brendan McCullum and a couple of handy allrounders stood between India squaring the series. It was enough.

BJ Wattling 124

The next two partnerships added an improbable 531. McCullum, formerly the hot headed dasher from the top of the order, played the centrepiece innings, his 302 being New Zealand's first Test triple century but his supporting players deserve no less credit. Wicket keeper BJ (Bradley-John)Wattling passed 1000 Test runs with his third and most important Test hundred and Jimmy Neesham, the left hand bat, right hand bowler from Auckland, outshone anything he had done in first class cricket on his Test debut.

McCullum batted for a few minutes short of fourteen hours ... that's more than two Test playing days.

Virat Kohli's consolation century as the afternoon wound down was hardly noticed.

India have a poor record in New Zealand since first coming to the Land of the Long White Cloud in 1968. In nine visits, they've only one two series, including their last visit five years ago. After a poor batting slump in the first innings of the First Test in Auckland, they rallied and came close to winning the match and made more than 400 in Wellington to lead handsomely. Their bowling has been ordinary - Zaheer being the only player who looked like he bothered the Kiwis - and the captaincy has lacked imagination. MS Dhoni so often looks like he is playing the game by numbers and waiting for something to happen.

The series victory is a personal triumph for Brendan McCullum, with a double century in Auckland followed by a triple here. Only Don Bradman and Wally Hammond have done that and both a long, long time ago. He has shown a liking for the captaincy since the controversial but necessary axing of Ross Taylor from the role. His side is limited but he makes them play beyond those limits and his three seam bowlers - Trent Boult, Tim Southee and Neil Wagner are a handy combination under New Zealand conditions, where the ball swings and often holds up off slower pitches. His was a stern beginning as skipper, taking over against South Africa and winning the toss and being all out inside twenty overs at Newlands. Since, he hasn't lost a series at home and the loss to South Africa and England are the only away series losses. Its a moderate record, but one that is improving, as his batting average: he was averaging 35 as a player and now 47 as a captain.

Jimmy Neesham 137

For India, the changes forced on them by aging players must now be addressed to their skipper. The new men need to be led by imaginative, aggressive captaincy. Its time for Virat Kohli to take the reins.

With a five Test series against England during the northern summer, it could be a long a dreadfully dull series with Dhoni pitted against the uninspiring and tactically inept Alastair Cook.

One is left to ask the question why the two currently worst performing teams in the top four are playing five Test and the two best are currently only three. Mind you, after Centurion, not many of the South Africans would be clamoring to change that.