Cricket: McCullum trades machismo for maturity

Brendon McCullum. Photo / Getty Images

Brendon McCullum hopes a return to a simple batting philosophy will help him chart a path back to the form he craves.

The New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman has had an awkward few months, unable to discover his best touch with the bat, enduring a public debate on where he should bat in the ODI side, and then being relieved of the vice-captaincy.

But he made a player-of-the-series contribution to New Zealand's 2-1 ODI win over Pakistan in Abu Dhabi this month, with 228 runs at 76, and his grafting 78 in the first innings of the opening home test of the season against the Pakistanis in Dunedin on Wednesday displayed a different side to his batting talents.

McCullum bristles with aggression at the crease, never happier than when in full plunder mode, dispatching the leather rapidly and often to all parts of the ground.

But his first test innings in his home city for a year obliged him to take a different tack.

He came in with New Zealand listing at 210 for five, which became 211 for six nine balls later.

Joined by captain Dan Vettori, the pair had to knuckle down. Their 164-run stand pulled New Zealand's innings round, but it was not done by bravura means, and both took a few blows for their trouble.

However it showed a maturity in 28-year-old McCullum's batting, which hasn't always been evident, and is an encouraging sign for the summer and beyond.

McCullum, troubled by his inability to make big runs earlier in the year, sought the advice of Otago and Canterbury coaches Mike Hesson and Bob Carter, people he has worked with before and whose opinions he values.

"We kept it really simple and tried to get back to the absolute basics of my game, which is watching the ball and not pre-determining, trying to use my feet and pick up the length quickly," said McCullum.

"They are real basics which sometimes you can miss if you're searching for that big score for your team."

McCullum reckons he also needed to rediscover the enjoyment of being at the crease.

"It was becoming quite a tough period. It certainly wasn't the style of cricket that I like to play and thankfully I've been able to get a couple of scores on the board and hopefully it's a platform for the rest of the season."

He has hit 2361 test runs at 32.34 since his debut in March 2004 against South Africa at Hamilton, which he marked with a half century. Three more followed in the next four tests, including a gut-wrenching 96 at Lords. The search for consistency is on in the coming months.

Now back home after several months on the road, McCullum is relishing time in familiar surroundings.

"It's great to know the hotels you're staying in, the places you're going to eat, the training facilities and grounds you play at. You have friends in each city and you're able to call on fond memories you've had at those places.

"That helps build your confidence," said McCullum. "And I know everybody leading up to this test was excited about being able to kick off the summer after being on the road a long time."