Brendon McCullum becomes first New Zealander to score a triple century in Tests

Brendon McCullum led from the front as he became the first New Zealand player to score a triple ton in Test cricket. McCullum raced his way past the 300-run mark - the highest individual score by a Kiwi - on Day 5 of the second Test against India in Wellington. (Live Blog)

McCullum's 300 came in the opening session of play on Tuesday and at a time when his team desperately needed a big knock to save the match. The 32-year-old Kiwi skipper reached the landmark in 557 balls and his innings included 32 fours and 4 sixes. (Scorecard)

McCullum had dominated for most part of Day three and four with powerful shots all around the Basin Reserve stadium. It was not just about aggression however.

McCullum's knock epitomized maturity and he was smart enough to respect the good deliveries - avoiding unnecessary risks. He however did show his sublime class each time he crossed a landmark. While he had completed his century on Sunday by dispatching Ishant Sharma for a six, he reached his 200 with a firm flick of the pads off Zaheer Khan in Monday's second session. This was his third score of two hundred or more in Tests, all of which have come against India.

McCullum found a reliable partner in Bradley-John Watling who was willing to stick it out in the middle. The duo added a record 352 runs for the sixth wicket before Watling was removed by Mohammed Shami.

McCullum though had luck on his side as he was given a couple of lifelines through the course of his innings. Dropped twice - by Virat Kohli and Ishant Sharma, the Kiwi made the most of this opportunity to get a big score which was what his team needed after staring at a first innings deficit of 246. From 94/5, McCullum crafted a brilliant fight back to leave the Indians too stunned to look like the second best Test side in the world.

McCullum's innings ended two balls after reaching the milestone when he fell to Zaheer Khan for 302. By then, he had taken the game well beyond India.

 

New Zealand declared at 680/8 and set India 435 to win. Virat Kohli hit an unbeaten 105 as India ended the day at 166/3. The match was drawn and New Zealand won the series 1-0.