New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum was in all smiles after his side’s first Test win against Sri Lanka by 8 wickets at Christchurch. This win also completed New Zealand’s most successful year in their 85-year Test history, where they managed to win five out of the total nine Tests they played.
New Zealand won the home Test series against India (1-0) and away series against West Indies (2-1). At UAE against Pakistan, they drew the series (1-1), thanks to Brendon McCullum’s game changing double century. McCullum feels that this turnaround can directly be linked to the drubbing New Zealand suffered in South Africa in 2013, where they got bowled out for 45.
McCullum said:
“After that humiliation things had to change.We sat down and worked out where we were at after being bowled out for 45 against South Africa.
“We knew we had to make some changes, not just from an internal point of view but also externally how we are viewed by the public.
“It was essential to all of us that we wanted the public support and the best way to go about that is to make sure you’re out there and trying to represent New Zealand with everything you’ve got.”
McCullum also said that the team’s morale is high and they’ll continue to play attacking cricket if they have to give top notch performances on consistent basis.
“We want to make sure we’re playing aggressive cricket. We’re looking for results. You remember your Test wins. You don’t necessarily remember your draws.
“There is always pressure on places even when you achieve a record five Test wins in a calendar year,” McCullum concluded.
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