Christchurch: Five memorable innings by New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum who retires after New Zealand play Australia in Christchurch starting on Saturday, ending a 101-Test career.
March 2010, Wellington, 104 v Australia
McCullum's first century against Australia and while it did not save New Zealand it spared them from an innings defeat. New Zealand were forced to follow on 302 behind and were 183 for 5 in the second innings when McCullum again showed he could control his naturally aggressive nature. In a tempered innings, he faced 232 deliveries for 104.
January 2014, Wellington, 302 v India
An innings where McCullum showed he could put aside his batting belligerence and instead graft away for the good of the team. India led by 246 on the first innings and had New Zealand at 94 for 5 in the second before McCullum began a near 13-hour stand in which he made 302, the only triple-century by a New Zealander, and saved the Test. He faced 559 balls and hit 32 fours and four sixes.
November 2014, Sharjah, 202 v Pakistan
An emotionally drained McCullum produced a double century following the death of Australia's Phillip Hughes with whom he had previously played at New South Wales. Batting with the initials PH beneath the silver fern on his shirt, McCullum said he was relying on instinct as he smacked the fastest century by a New Zealander, reaching three figures in 78 deliveries. He was finally dismissed for 202 off 188 balls.
December 2014, Christchurch, 195 v Sri Lanka
It was a trademark McCullum performance as Test cricket made its return to Christchurch for the first time since the 2011 earthquakes that devastated the city. He scored one run in the first 11 balls he faced and then opened up. It took 134 balls to reach 195 in an innings that included 18 fours and 11 sixes. In one over from Suranga Lakmal he hit three sixes and two fours and during his blitz became the first New Zealander to score 1,000 Test runs in a calendar year.
March 2015, Auckland, 59 v South Africa
An ODI innings to savour and which put New Zealand into the World Cup final for the first time. In a shortened semi-final New Zealand needed a flying start batting second and facing a target of 298 in 43 overs. McCullum obliged when he opened the innings and made a mockery of some of the world's best bowlers with his 59 off 26 balls, toying with Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel. One Steyn over produced 24 runs.
