McCullum triple ton bats New Zealand to safety

McCullum triple ton bats New Zealand to safety

Brendon McCullum became the first New Zealander to score a Test triple century Tuesday as he led his side to a seemingly unbeatable position against India in the second Test.

Captain of New Zealand Brendon McCullum walks from the field after being caught out for 302 runs during day 5 of the 2nd International Test cricket match between New Zealand and India in Wellington at the Basin Reserve on February 18, 2014

At lunch on the final day India were 10 without loss, chasing a near impossible 435 in the two remaining sessions to pull off an unlikely win.

McCullum received a standing ovation when he cut Zaheer Khan to the boundary to become only the 24th player to reach 300 in a Test innings, eclipsing the previous New Zealand best of 299 by Martin Crowe set 23 years ago.

Two balls later, McCullum's match-saving, nearly 13-hour marathon innings was over when he edged Khan to wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and was gone for 302.

He came to the middle with New Zealand in strife at 52-3 and needing 246 to make India bat again.

At 94-5 he was joined by BJ Watling to mount a rescue mission that produced a world record sixth-wicket stand of 352.

With Watling's departure McCullum then added 179 for the seventh wicket with Jimmy Neesham.

New Zealand declared with Neesham unbeaten on 137 in his Test debut, while Zaheer Khan was the best Indian bowler with 5-170.

India had 10 minutes batting before lunch with Murali Vijay moving to seven and Shikhar Dhawan on two.

New Zealand won the first Test by 40 runs, with the victory set up by a double century from McCullum, and look destined to clinch the series 1-0.

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