He's not going quietly. Brendon McCullum blasted into history with
the fastest Test hundred of them all to leave Australia speechless and
grant New Zealand a first-innings foothold on an unforgettable day at
Hagley Oval.
Arriving at the crease with the hosts a floundering 32 for 3 in the
20th over of the innings, McCullum launched an immediate counterattack
in the lead-up to lunch. On resumption he stepped things up further in
the company of a similarly fearless Corey Anderson, and spanked Josh
Hazlewood over wide mid-off to reach his century in a mere 54 balls -
two fewer than Viv Richards in 1986 and Misbah-ul-Haq in 2014.
Most of Test cricket's fastest hundreds have been compiled in
circumstances that heavily favoured batsman, whether it be the pitch or
the match scenario. Not so this time, as McCullum and Anderson overcame
the obstacles of a lively pitch, a dominant Australian attack and a day
one scenario that would traditionally have called for dogged defence.
Josh Hazlewood, James Pattinson and Jackson Bird had all bowled
demanding spells with the new ball, but none were able to find an answer
for McCullum's assault. Vitally, an outstanding catch by Mitchell Marsh
when McCullum had made 39 was rendered meaningless when the replay
showed Pattinson had overstepped.
It would have been Australia's third brilliant catch of the innings,
after the captain, Steven Smith, snared a pair of thrilling one-handed
takes to dismiss Tom Latham and Kane Williamson. The second of these was
made still more impressive by the fact that Smith was partly obscured
by a helmet-clad David Warner, posted at a short third slip close to the
bat.
After useful innings by BJ Watling and Matt Henry, New Zealand were
ultimately bowled out for 370, leaving Australia with a testing period
to bat in the evening session. The tourists' over rate was less than
optimal during the afternoon, something that may result in a fine for
Smith, though more than 12 months after his previous transgression,
against India in late 2014.
Warner and Joe Burns began carefully, weighing up conditions that
still provided some challenges to the batsmen. Boult was particularly
testing, gaining just enough movement to draw an edge from Warner that
was comfortably held in the slips. Burns and Usman Khawaja did well to
get to stumps, but there is plenty of work yet to be done.
As was the case in Wellington, Smith did not hesitate in sending New
Zealand in on a pitch even greener than that served up at the Basin
Reserve. Hazlewood and Pattinson found extravagant seam movement
immediately, leaving Martin Guptill and Latham groping for the new ball.
Guptill was particularly troubled by Pattinson deliveries that cut
back into him, and an inside edge squeezed off the body presented a
chance to the short leg, Joe Burns, who grassed it. Another opportunity
was not long in coming, and this time Burns did well to propel himself
forward for the catch.
A period of stalemate followed, as Williamson and Latham tried to dig
in. There were multiple plays and misses, and pressure built through
some diligent work by Hazlewood, Pattinson and Bird. Eventually, Bird
gave Latham one to drive, and the batsman's slightly hesitant movement
drew an edge towards the slips. It was probably Adam Voges' catch, but
Smith removed all doubt by flinging himself brilliantly across for a
one-handed classic.
Hazlewood had bowled beautifully without reward, but he now homed in
on Nicholls, who had edged a ball going across him on day one in
Wellington. This time Hazlewood seamed one back down the line, and
pinned Nicholls in front of the off stump. Richard Kettleborough gave it
out, and the batsman's review only confirmed the fact.
All this time Williamson had been battling for survival, his back
thigh taking a battering as he was often turned around by seam movement.
Sensing momentum needed to change, McCullum walked out with his mind
set on attack, and, after accepting a gracious guard of honour from the
Australians, he did exactly that.
McCullum's first shot flew fortunately over the slips, but he
subsequently found his range, and one Mitchell Marsh over was dispatched
for no fewer than 21 runs including a pair of sixes. The Hagley Oval
crowd came to life, and Australia's grip on proceedings was loosened.
They tightened it again when Smith swooped to claim Williamson, but
Pattinson's overstep shifted momentum back towards New Zealand. The
reprieve allowed McCullum to carry on charging at the bowlers with all
the crazy brave belief of a man who knows his luck is in.
There were almost as many edges as full-blooded shots, not unlike Ian
Botham at Headingley in 1981, but on a surface offering useful sideways
movement this was to be expected. What McCullum did achieve was to
throw Australia's bowlers off the optimum approach for the pitch.
Rather than pursuing the edge of the bat, the visiting pacemen
dropped shorter and shorter, inviting McCullum and Anderson to use a
horizontal bat. What resulted was an avalanche of runs that put New
Zealand firmly back into the match and left Australia pondering a more
challenging pursuit than they had faced in Wellington.
Aside from McCullum's thrilling display, the overall scoring was
equally eye-popping. No fewer than 199 runs came between lunch and tea,
161 in 16 overs after Pattinson's no-ball. When McCullum finally hit one
within reach of an Australian fielder to depart for 145, Hagley Oval
stood as one. It may as well have been the whole of New Zealand.
