Grieving the death of Australian international Phil Hughes in the professional cricketing fraternity will take months but, as the initial horror subsided a fraction overnight, the New Zealanders could take pride in amassing 637 for eight against Pakistan, the highest total in any of the 381 innings they have played
overseas. The total gives them a 286-run lead.
Not that they will be feeling any elation. With their stated position of not wanting to be there, a sense of apathy pervaded on the third day of the third test. However, that translated to a laissez-faire approach which somehow became the perfect antidote - along with a flat pitch - to dealing with Pakistani bowling they'd found a menace in the first two tests.
"When you take the pressure away in a game situation and just bat like you did when you were a little kid, things evolve," said Ross Taylor, who made 50. "Everyone played their natural games and didn't think about things too much."
"For instance, when I bat with Kane [Williamson] I normally talk a lot. Today I didn't, and when we did talk it was more token than anything. It was a strange feeling; something I've never felt before in my test career."
Pakistan coach Waqar Younis concurred.
"That's a fair call. There was no real pressure. The momentum was broken without the second day. There was definite tension at the ground and in the dressing room but it probably helped them play freely."
The surrounding circumstances of the Hughes tragedy mean the test will always be tagged with a sympathetic asterisk but, nonetheless, New Zealand have chance of beating Pakistan for just the third time away in 24 attempts.
New Zealand coach Mike Hesson has already said the test is "irrelevant" but Pakistan toiled as records tumbled. The visitors might want to be elsewhere, and looked numb doing so, but memories of exquisite stroke-making are still etched.
The batting performance looked like it had been designed by computer programmers. Efficient, effective and innovative, yet lacking joie de vivre. The batsmen did the job, while contemplating the meaning of life between deliveries.
Captain Brendon McCullum and heir apparent Kane Williamson channeled their energy into making runs as a mechanism to grieve. Anyone in a workplace can apply for bereavement leave when a mate dies. That doesn't appear to apply to test cricket.
As a result the pair took an industrial twink pen to the country's 22-year-old record for the second wicket against all countries.
John Wright and Andrew Jones amassed 241 in 107 overs against England at the Basin Reserve in 1992; McCullum and Williamson scored 297 in 52.5 overs as the menace of Pakistan's attack dissipated.
McCullum, with his 202 off 188 balls, now has the most double centuries by a New Zealander and his 11 sixes equal the most by a New Zealander in an innings with 11, joining Nathan Astle after his 222 in 2002. He also became the third person behind Sir Don Bradman and Michael Clarke to score a triple century and two or more double centuries within a 12-month period.
McCullum kept advancing into the melancholic void. The skipper, whose leadership by example has been inspirational, embraced Williamson on reaching his double century with a straight six and shook Pakistani hands two balls later as he departed, bowled sweeping Yasir Shah. He left the field and pulled up a chair in the New Zealand cricket pantheon.
Speaking of future inductees, Williamson made his eighth test century. He's now alone in seventh on New Zealand's all-time list. Let's put that another way. Williamson has more hundreds in less tests (37) than Glenn Turner (7 in 41), Andrew Jones (7 in 39), Geoff Howarth (6 in 47) and, dare it be whispered, Bert Sutcliffe (5 in 42). He 'celebrated' his milestone in subdued fashion, briefly raising his bat.
Williamson was dismissed for his highest test score of 192 and moved his average into the 40s (41.21). He nibbled at Rahat Ali's first ball after tea outside off. Ali was the most successful Pakistani bowler with four for 89 from 25 overs.
Before the day's play McCullum sought solidarity from the cricket community after Hughes' death.
He read the following statement offering support to Hughes' family and friends before resuming:
"Our focus at the moment is not on our performances, it is all about Phil.
We are heartbroken for Phil's family - Greg, Virginia, Megan and Jason. No one should go through what you guys are going through right now.
We are reaching out to Phil's family, Michael Clark and the Australian boys, medical staff, fans - all who have been affected by Phil's passing. We are also reaching out to Sean Abbott.
