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McCullum's Test thirst

McCullum: Time to build on Hobart

01/24/2012 08:00:21 PM

Any concerns surrounding a Twenty20 dominated diet since New Zealand's sweet taste of Test success in Hobart at the end of last year are not shared by Brendon McCullum.

Thursday's one-off Test against Zimbabwe in Napier is seen as another potential step in the right direction in the wake of breaking a 26-year Australian hoodoo.

If New Zealand were to win this week, it would be their third Test victory in their last four outings.

And if done convincingly, it would represent another boost towards the daunting assignment that follows later in the summer against the might of South Africa.

"Hobart was the catalyst, now it's a matter of what we do from hereon in," McCullum said. "That will determine whether that was a one-off performance or a real line in the sand for us.

"We've talked at length as a senior group about making sure that was a performance that really catapults this team into better performances against better teams around the world.

"We've got an opportunity in a few days' time to win another Test match. If we do so it'll be three in four so that gives us a nice little platform to attack South Africa."

There's no doubt it's a less than ideal scenario that the whites have been shelved since the nine-run win over Australia and swapped solely for the slap-dash of the HRV Cup.

But therein lies the reality of modern-day cricket. No one knows that better than McCullum, a Twenty20 kingpin who is working feverishly to find the right balance in five-day cricket and forge world-class numbers and a reputation in that form of the game.

"We've done it a fair few times so hopefully we'll be able to make that mental adjustment pretty quickly," McCullum said of the switch back to the longer format.

"I think the biggest thing is to have no excuses when you do step out on the pitch. You may not have had the prep you wanted but that's how it is and you've got to make sure you get the job done."

In saying that, he has no desire to replicate his dogged efforts in Hobart. Given a typically run-laden McLean Park pitch, he won't need to either.

McCullum battled away for a combined 78 balls and scored only 28 on a spicy wicket across the Tasman, which was a selfless act in service to the team.

"If you're not authentic to your own game you're going to come unstuck at some point," he said.

"I occupied the crease for a long time in Hobart with not much in the score column so ultimately it comes down to runs and averages.

"It's hard to go to the selectors and say I batted an hour and a half for 12. It doesn't give you much of an argument. I've done it once, I don't really want to do it again.

"All I'm trying to do in this Test match is get a start. I'll do that through making good decisions and being sound defensively, leave the ball well and pick them off when I get the opportunity."

There's been talk of a bit more grass adorning the Napier wicket this time around but with only two results in nine Tests at the venue – none of them New Zealand victories – it's a fair bet that the bat will dominate again.

McCullum scored the third of

 
Photograph Copyright : Getty Images
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