New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum's swansong

Date

2/20/2016 1:04:58 AM

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum needs a form reversal personally and collectively if he is to end his 14-year international career on a high note in the second Test against Australia from Saturday.

Australia won the first Test by an innings and 52 runs and will win the two-Test series and supplant India as the top-ranked Test nation if it can at least draw the match at Hagley Oval.

McCullum had scores of 0 and 10 in the first Test in which he became the first cricketer to play 100 consecutive Tests since debut. He will retire at the end of the second Test ending an international career that began in 2004 and included 260 one-dayers and 71 Twenty20s.

"I'm really excited about the last Test match and the opportunity to play against a very good Australian team and if we can find a way to win the last Test match it will be a very exciting moment for everyone involved" McCullum said.

McCullum has presided over one of the most successful eras in New Zealand history; the loss to Australia in Wellington was its first defeat in a Test at home since 2012 - a total of 13 matches including 12 in which McCullum was captain.

If McCullum can win in Christchurch he ends his career as New Zealand's most-successful Test captain having led it to 11 wins in 30 Tests - a winning percentage of 36.6 per cent which he shares with Geoff Howarth.

New Zealand was unbeaten in seven Test series under McCullum until it lost to Australia in Australia prior to Christmas.

McCullum ends his career with a host of other records: the only New Zealander to have scored a Test triple century (302 against India in 2014 the first New Zealander to score 1000 international runs in a calendar year the two fastest centuries for New Zealand (74 and 78 balls) the only player to have hit 100 sixes in Tests and 200 sixes in one-day internationals and the most runs of any player in Twenty20 internationals (2140).

Such a record deserves a fitting finale and New Zealanders hope McCullum will provided one last exhibition of his prodigious talent in his farewell match. McCullum's batting averages - 38.07 in Tests 30.41 in one-day internationals and 35.66 in T20s - may not be in the elite category but his captaincy has instilled a confidence in the New Zealand team that was previously lacking.

Australia captain Steve Smith said McCullum "has been a terrific leader for New Zealand. I guess any captain wants to change the way their team plays for the better. He's certainly done that for New Zealand and he's going to be missed by the New Zealand cricket team."

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