Cricket: McCullum comes good as NZ fight back

Brendon McCullum played an integral part in NZ’s recovery mission against Pakistan yesterday. Photo / Getty Images

He lost his mojo and then the vice-captaincy but there was no place like home for Brendon McCullum yesterday as a morale-boosting innings helped reduce the likelihood of test cricket defeat against Pakistan.

McCullum's 78 from 154 balls complemented captain Daniel Vettori's agonising 99 at University Oval as New Zealand regained the ascendancy by posting 404 for eight during a day curtailed by rain then bad light.

While Vettori's attempt at a third century of the year was the focal point of a weather-interrupted day, the value of McCullum's support act should not be under estimated.

Together they eclipsed the doggedness of Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor - who added 117 for the third wicket on Tuesday - by posting 164 for the seventh and erasing the possibility of a late order collapse.

McCullum played an integral part in the recovery mission, his 14th test fifty bearing little resemblance to his usual free-flowing strokemaking.

He required 98 deliveries to reach the mini-milestone and although 48 of his total runs ultimately came via boundaries McCullum rarely took the risks associated with his Twenty20 and one-day international profile.

"I tried to play as straight as I could," he confessed.

"It wasn't exactly entertaining but it managed to get a score on the board for us."

It was also just the type of innings McCullum required, a reminder of his class after a difficult year.

After all he was virtually a lost soul in Sri Lanka three months ago, where the wily Muttiah Muralitharan proved unreadable.

McCullum averaged just 15.25 on the island and recorded a highest score of 29 as the world's leading wicket taker flummoxed him at will.

The following ODI Tri-Series was equally unspectacular - 17 runs at 8.50 - though the Champions Trophy in South Africa was a slight improvement, 155 runs at 31.00 with a best of 48.

A sign McCullum was one the up and up materialised in the United Arab Emirates during the three-match ODI series against Pakistan earlier this month.

He topped the stats with 228 runs at 76.00 with a fifty and a sublime 131 as New Zealand fought back to claim the series 2-1.

And yesterday's performance offered further evidence one of the world's most damaging wicketkeeper-batsmen might have his game in order at the highest level.

Joining the fray at 210 for five, McCullum was aware on the enormity of his challenge and battened down to salvage a near hopeless predicament with Vettori.

"The (batting) four sessions responsibility was in my mind," he said, justifying his conservative approach.

Vettori and McCullum blunted, then demoralised, the Pakistani attack as they converted an overnight partnership worth 65 into three figures.

"We generally bat well together, we run well which tends to put some pressure on the opposition," McCullum explained.

He was chuffed at keeping the Pakistani attack at bay until lunch.

"We were in a pretty dicey situation at (210 for six) so to be able to combine and get the team through is very satisfying."

McCullum, who lost the vice-captaincy during a managerial shake-up that saw coach Andy Moles depart, acknowledged the pressure he was under until yesterday's endeavour.

"If you don't get a performance everyone's under the spotlight," he said.

"I wasn't hitting the ball particularly well .... I was managing to get some good starts but I never able to really get that major contribution you crave when you are struggling a little bit."

He listed the support of a current and former coach to drag him out of a funk - Otago mentor Mike Hesson and Canterbury coach Bob Carter.

"I worked with some guys that I've worked with previously and they kept it really simple with me," McCullum said.

"I just tried to get back to the absolute basics of my game, which is watching the ball and not pre-determining.

"The real basics is something you miss when you're searching for that big score with your team.

"Thankfully I've managed to get a couple of scores on the board and hopefully it's a bit of a platform for the rest of the year."

- NZPA