New Zealand were leading by 325 runs with four wickets in hand at stumps on the fourth day of the second Test at the Basin Reserve. Captain Brendon McCullum and BJ Watling had changed the complexion of the match with a record breaking 352-run partnership for the sixth wicket. The pair wrested the advantage from the visitors in a marathon partnership which helped bring the Black Caps back into the game.
At 571 for six with McCullum batting on 281 and Jimmy Neesham on 67, New Zealand were in the driver’s seat at the end of fourth day’s play in Wellington.
After being dominated by India for the first two and a half days, the fourth day of the second Test match belonged to New Zealand. For the second time in two matches McCullum exemplified what it means to lead from the front. With the unflappable Watling for company the NZ captain rescued the hosts innings from a certain defeat.
Runs were at a premium for the home team for the better part of the third day during the second innings but it wasn’t the case on the fourth day. Resuming with the marginal lead of six runs the pair added 95 runs during the course of the morning session to be 101 ahead at lunch.
While India strove to get a breakthrough, the sixth wicket partnership grew stronger as McCullum and Watling found the gaps and the fence with relative ease. With every run of paramount value they ran between the wickets well and converted twos into threes. They forced the field to spread out as India now looked to ebb the flow of runs.
Facing two determined batsmen who had dug in their heels and settled into a rhythm, the Zaheer Khan-led attack tried everything that they could to catch a break that eluded them. They had varied length, pace and line but were unable to break the stand.
McCullum was on song and whipped Zaheer through covers to bring his 150. Watling who was nudging towards his century stayed true to his role, that of providing support and kept up the other end. He sent Ishant Sharma to the fine-leg boundary to take the lead to 100 and reached 90 in the process just before lunch.
In the second session too the Kiwi batsmen continued to garner runs as they approached milestones. Watling reached the three-figure mark by sending a half-volley from Zaheer to the fence. The batsman had frustrated the bowlers, not offered chances and stoically held up one end.
A while later, McCullum brought up his second consecutive century with a boundary, his second in succession and third in Tests. Eventually he became the only other batsman besides former NZ captain Stephan Fleming to have three double hundreds.
Although they were relentless in their pursuit, the Indian bowlers couldn’t end the partnership. MS Dhoni also gave the ball to Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli but that did nothing to unsettle the opponents. McCullum surpassed his previous best Test score of 225 as he piled on runs.
With runs flowing in steadily NZ had taken the lead to 194 at tea. Congratulated by the Indians McCullum and Watling led the players off the field with the team on 440 for five.
Dhoni relinquished the gloves to Kohli to begin the proceedings in the final session of the day with the new ball due in two overs and conceded five runs off it. In the next over Kohli rolled his arm over and with a single off the second ball, the McCullum – Watling partnership surpassed the previous best of 351 run stand to claim the record for the best sixth-wicket stand in Test history.
It was finally with the new ball that India got some relief. Armed with a shiny red ball Mohammed Shami made a strong appeal for lbw off the first ball before trapping Watling plumb in front of the wicket to end the epic partnership.
When Watling’s 124-run 367-ball stay coming to end, Neesham replaced him in the middle. After edging one to gully and surviving a tough chance, the debutant’s nick dropped in front of first slip while on 19.
McCullum who had been cruising along comfortably, brought up another milestone of the innings with a six. He pulled Shami over the boundary to get to his 250. Having taken a few chances and survived early in his innings Neesham too inched forward. The seventh wicket partnership began to take shape with the 50 of the partnership coming off just 66 balls.
McCullum, meanwhile, went past Fleming as he climbed the ladder towards becoming the highest run-getter in Tests for NZ. He stepped out to Ravindra Jadeja and sent him sailing high into the skies and over the ropes for his fourth six of the innings to get to 266.
As the day’s end drew closer, Neesham capitalised on the lives received earlier and reached his fifty. Scoring at a quick pace, the partnership was unbroken on 125 at close of play on Day 4.
