"They almost felt a bit sad that they took my wicket and so I'm sure that the Indian team, while they won't be dishing up full tosses, I think deep down they'll be wanting him to get there.''
Crowe said McCullum and fellow batsman Jimmy Neesham would be looking to keep the runs flowing today.
"They'll have a target in mind as to how they can perhaps bat India out of the series, but also set up the game so they can have a crack at winning the test.
"There is no doubt that as he closes in on 300 that there'll be one or two moments where he'll feel the pressure of that moment, but I've got a feeling he's in such a good mind space, he's in a zone, that he'll cope fine.''
Crowe said when he set the current record, he never contemplated the lauded 300 mark.
"So it came as a bit of a shock to be standing there on 299 with my Everest sort of looking right at me. I took myself out of that moment because I was not in the now or the present and I made a mistake.
"It was costly and it's been 22 long years of contemplating that, but I think Brendon will have learned maybe a little from that example.
"I'm confident that he'll get through...I've said for a while now that it's time New Zealand joined the other test playing nations in the triple-century list.''
