On January 2, 2013, on a lively Newlands wicket in Cape Town, New Zealand cricket found the abyss they were slowly sinking into. In just 19.3 overs, they were bowled out for a paltry 45.
And no…they were not playing a Twenty20 International match. This was a Test match, and the hapless Kiwis just could not cope with the sheer pace of Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel and were bowled out well before the first session was over.
They went on to lose the match by an innings and 27 runs. Since the home series against South Africa in March 2012, and going on to the Bangladesh tour in October 2013, there seemed to be no end to New Zealand’s misery.
In 18 Test matches during that 19-month period, the Kiwis won once, lost 10 matches and drew seven, including both the Tests against lowly Bangladesh.
The Newlands match was truly a baptism by fire for Brendon McCullum, who had taken over as captain from Ross Taylor from that match onwards.
And yesterday, when the Black Caps shocked Pakistan by an innings and 80 runs in the third and final Test match in Sharjah, it was exactly one year since their resurgence – a process that started with their tour of West Indies in December 2013.
969 – Brendon McCullum has scored 969 Test runs in 2014, the most by a New Zealander in a calendar year. Mirabilis.
— OptaJim (@OptaJim) November 30, 2014
Since then, the Kiwis have played 11 Tests, won six of them and lost only two. Really, McCullum and his men have been the most improved team of this year. The team that got shot out for 45, has now made totals of 609-9, 503, 508-7, 680-8, before establishing an all-time best yesterday of 690.
There are various reasons for that, but the foremost has to be the visionary decision of New Zealand Cricket to stick to McCullum as captain.
The mild-mannered Kiwi has not only led from the front – only the legendary Donald Bradman has scored two double centuries and a triple century in one year before McCullum made 224, 302 and 202 this season – he has also been a fantastic influence on the youngsters that have been drafted in.
That’s been one of the biggest gains for New Zealand. In Kane Ross Taylor, Tom Latham and McCullum himself, they have a very dependent batting line-up, which makes life a lot easier for their bowlers.
Daniel Vettori, New Zealand’s most successful bowler, made a comeback from injury in Sharjah but it is likely to be his last Test. However, the Kiwis now have two world-class seam bowlers in right-arm fast Tim Southee and left-arm paceman Trent Boult, and fantastic tweakers in off-spinner Mark Craig and leg-spinner Ish Sodhi.
Well done! @BLACKCAPS‘s Brendon McCullum makes record ton wearing Phillip Hughes initials: http://t.co/ZY9tUsC1eC pic.twitter.com/ws7hrNb9cj
— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) November 28, 2014
McCullum has other ideas as to why the Kiwis are doing so well in Test cricket. He would rather focus on the character traits they have tried to inculcate within the team.
The skipper sat down with the team after the Newlands debacle and said they asked some harsh questions of themselves, like how they wanted to be known as a team and how New Zealand wanted them to play and the traits fans wanted to see in those representing the country.
McCullum feels the biggest difference in the team is in their thinking – they are now a team that never gives up.
Yesterday, Pakistan found that out in humiliating fashion. Very soon, the rest of the cricketing world is bound to sit up and take notice.
