On the final day of the second Test New which ended in a draw, Brendon McCullum created history by becoming the only New Zealand batsman to post a triple century. His marathon innings complemented by a determined BJ Watling earlier in the innings saved the game for the hosts. And his partnership with Jimmy Neesham, who slammed a ton on debut, nudged India out of the game. Led by the captain, New Zealand averted a highly probable defeat with a record sixth wicket partnership.
Asked to chase a mountainous 435-run target after NZ declared their innings in the morning, India were 166 for three when play was called off. With a draw at the Basin Reserve, New Zealand had won the two-match Test series 1-0.
Earlier, with McCullum 19 runs short of a triple hundred, the fifth morning was filled with anticipation as New Zealanders awaited the captain to achieve the landmark that no other Black Caps player had attained before. And McCullum did not disappoint. In the 11th over of the morning, he sent Zaheer Khan racing to the third man boundary to reach the 300-run mark with a four. The previous best was 299 by Martin Crowe.
In a match that had been studded with milestones for the home team, Jimmy Neesham completed his century with two runs off Ishant Sharma to become the seventh No 8 batsman to score a century on debut. The lower-order bat claimed his landmark in the over before McCullum’s reached 300.
However, a ball after rewriting the record books, McCullum edged Zaheer to the wicketkeeper to depart for 302. Tim Southee who replaced him top-edged the pacer to Pujara after adding 11 runs to the already mammoth total. The scalp was the senior paceman’s fifth wicket of the innings.
The hosts continued to add milestones to their lists. A few overs later with Shikhar Dhawan rolling his arm over, the Kiwis posted their highest ever total on reaching 673 runs in the innings. Eventually, the innings was declared at 680 for 8. Neesham remained unbeaten on 137 with Neil Wagner on two.
Facing the difficult task, Murali Vijay and Dhawan took guard and took the team to lunch at 10 without loss in four overs.
In the first over of the second session, Dhawan was adjudged leg-before to Trent Boult. In the following over Vijay edged Southee to Corey Anderson in the slips to leave India on 10 for two.
Later in the session after scoring 17 runs Cheteshwar Pujara was the next to walk back. A bouncer from Boult brushed past the batsman’s glove and was caught by BJ Watling going down the leg side leaving India on 54 for three.
Rohit Sharma then joined Virat Kohli in the middle. With a humongous target looming in front of them both batsmen steered the innings forward. Both batsmen trudged along as they found the odd boundary. Dropped by Southee off his own bowling a couple of overs before tea while on nine, Rohit was batting on 15 with Kohli was two short of his fifty when the second session ended.
With 345 runs still required and the result a foregone conclusion India resumed their innings on 90 for three in the final session. Nudging a Neesham delivery behind square-leg, Kohli brought up his half-century in the over after tea. Kohli timed the ball well and with some breathtaking shots inched towards his century. He punched and drove the ball to the boundary as the match headed for a draw.
Kohli brought up his sixth Test ton with an on-drive off Wagner and was unbeaten on 105 with Rohit on 31 when the match ended.
Man of the Match: Brendon McCullum for his match saving record breaking triple hundred
Man of the series: New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum for scoring a double century and a triple hundred in back-to-back matches
