McCullum heroics hand Kiwis advantage

Joy Chakravarty 18:03 28/11/2014
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  • Smashing: Brendon McCullum scored a century off just 78 balls to break the record.

    Opener Brendon McCullum smashed the fastest century by a New Zealand batsman to give his team an upper hand in the third and final Test against Pakistan in Sharjah on Friday.

    – World cricket provides moving Phil Hughes Twitter tribute with #putyourbatsout

    On an incredibly difficult day for cricket, as both teams struggled to come to terms with the death of Australian batsman Phil Hughes, there were several personal achievements at Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

    Not only did New Zealand dismiss Pakistan for 351, taking the last seven wickets inside the first session giving away just 70 runs, their batsmen returned to smash the bowling to all parts of the ground and raced to 249 for the loss of one wicket by stumps on day two.

    New Zealand’s heroes were off-spinner Mark Craig, who took 7-94 as Pakistan lost their way after resuming on 281-3, and captain Brendon McCullum, who was unbeaten on 153 in 145 balls.

    McCullum had earlier raced to the fastest century ever by a New Zealand batsman, getting to three figures at the stroke of tea in 78 balls. He beat the previous record of 81 balls by Ross Taylor against Australia at Hamilton in 2010

    The skipper got terrific support from the other in-form Kiwi batsman Ken Williamson, who was unbeaten on 76 off 96 balls and had added 198 runs in 220 balls for the second wicket – the highest ever partnership by a New Zealand pair against Pakistan.

    Craig hardly celebrated any of the five wickets he took yesterday, while McCullum raised his bat only out of sheer respect of the cheers he received from the goodly crowd at the stadium.

    And Pakistan opener Mohammad Hafeez, who top-scored with 197, dedicated his career-best Test knock to the departed soul.

    McCullum’s was a supreme effort. He is one of the most affected players in both the sides, having not only played against Hughes, but also with him for New South Wales in 2009.

    It was as if he was taking out his frustration and the bottled-up emotions of the last couple of days on the Pakistani bowlers. Known for his aggressive batting, there was something almost animal-like as he treated Mohammed Talha (0-62 in seven overs) and spinners Zulfiqar Babar (0-71 in 10 overs) and Yasir Shah (0-59 in 10 overs) with utter disdain.

    His knock contained as many as eight bludgeoned sixes, mostly hoisted square of the wicket, and 17 fours.

    McCullum may have been grieving, but his cricketing brain was working efficiently. Once Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq finally spread the field after tea and posted five players along the boundary rope, he eschewed the lofted shots and scored only 53 runs in 67 balls in the final session.

    It was a chanceless knock from McCullum, and the only time Pakistan came close to dismissing him was on 149, when wicket-keeper Ahmed Shehzad did not go for a snick off Hafeez.

    Compared to McCullum’s brutal assault, Williamson’s 76 was a cultured effort. He hit just one six and seven fours and finally converted a good start into a meaningful knock after the disappointments of Abu Dhabi and Dubai Tests.

    Earlier, Hafeez hit a career-best 197 before he miscued a pull off leg-spinner Ish Sodhi and was caught at deep square-leg.

    He hit 25 boundaries and three sixes during a dominating stay of 434 minutes, in which he not only bettered his previous highest of 196 (against Sri Lanka in Colombo in 2012), but also scored the majority of runs for his team.

    But once Misbah edged seamer Tim Southee to wicket-keeper Bradley-John Watling in the fourth over of the day without adding to his Wednesday’s score of 38 (play was suspended on Thursday and is being officially recorded as a rest day), wickets fell in a heap.

    Craig wrapped up the middle and lower order dismissing Asad Shafiq (11), Sarfraz Ahmed (15), Talha (nought), Rahat Ali (nought) and Yasir Shah (25) – his last four wickets coming off 25 balls.

    Before the start of the day’s play, both teams and officials observed a minute’s silence and wore black armbands to join in the mourning for Hughes.

    Both teams put their bats out of the dressing room with their caps on top of it to take part in the #putyourbatsout tribute to the fallen Australian. The New Zealand players also wrote his initials PH on their shirts and decided not to bowl any bouncer during the day.

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