Cricket: McCullum leads from the front

The irony was enormous. Giving up the test wicketkeeping gloves to avoid wear and tear of his body, Brendon McCullum didn't open the innings against India last night because he hurt his back taking a catch in the field at practice.

For all that, his decision to hand over the gloves so he can concentrate on his batting has been the catalyst in the Black Caps' defiance of the odds in India.

McCullum says his move has made a big difference, especially after off-season knee surgery to tidy up some cartilage damage. "The knees aren't too bad; it's not painful when I squat. It's more about recuperation of the mind. Not keeping for 160 overs makes a difference, as I'm sure Gareth Hopkins would tell you."

Former New Zealand wicketkeeper and coach Warren Lees knows. He saved a test for New Zealand on the subcontinent with 152 against Pakistan in 1976.

"The physical needs of a wicketkeeper-batsman need to be taken into account.

"We don't know how badly his body has been affected over the years. Brendon mightn't know either until he gets to my age [58] where you battle a bit having had a knee replacement. But he's so agile in the field that we're not losing much.

"He could still be the best in the world as a wicketkeeper-batsman but instead he has made an important decision to focus on batting. Some might have been expecting him to fail but he's taken off with a fantastic innings that saved the game.

"The senior players should be looking closely at that innings. Taking more responsibility wouldn't hurt a few more of them."

A test win would have been preferable, given New Zealand played their way into contention in the first test when India were five for 15 in the second innings. But two draws from two tests have been uplifting displays for a side under forensic examination following the 4-0 one-day series loss to Bangladesh.

McCullum has stepped into the role of opener with ease - his footwork swift and immaculate against the best bowling the world's top side can offer. He has been prepared to watch the ball on to the bat off the back foot on relatively dead wickets in Ahmedabad and Hyderabad. He has played with soft hands rather than push through the line of the ball and risk catches.

"I'm still trying to keep tempo through the innings because I'm naturally aggressive, but I've had to temper that a bit," McCullum says. "I'm trying to adapt, but there is still an attacking streak, especially when new bowlers are at the crease."

The 29-year-old's effort ranks high as an innings of attrition on Indian soil. His 225 runs over 543 minutes is lodged between Mark Richardson's 145 in 548 minutes at Mohali in 2003 (where he got acute cramp in his left leg) and Bert Sutcliffe's 230 not out in 540 minutes at Delhi in 1955.

While all three matches were draws, the batsmen demonstrated the importance of batting time in oppressive conditions.

Patience has been to the fore and risk buried in McCullum's cricket coffin - other than an audacious scoop shot to bring up his 200 and a handful of reverse sweeps.

He is playing with renewed vigour, leading from the front as a senior pro. He and fellow centurions Tim McIntosh, Jesse Ryder and Kane Williamson will be the toast of the bowling attack. Longer innings mean more time for bowlers to rest.

"There would be a couple of fast bowlers from the past who would wish we could have batted as long as this," McCullum jokes. "Chris Martin has been able to have more impact as a result, as has Daniel Vettori, even though he is already well skilled in operating for long periods."

McCullum's zest also seemed to rub off on McIntosh who was batting for his international career in Hyderabad after a pair in the previous test. He came away with a second test century and a 49. McIntosh is never going to have people clamouring four abreast through the turnstiles, but good test cricketers are often not flashy.

If he can see off the new ball with McCullum and help New Zealand into strong positions where the middle order can take advantage, then he will continue to be worth his spot.

It is common knowledge McCullum relishes the prospect of dominating games. Cricket fans have appreciated this quality in the past, particularly at Twenty20 and one-day level.

His 158 not out in the inaugural match of the Indian Premier League in 2008, last season's 116 not out against Australia in Christchurch - an ICC individual performance of the year - and the record-breaking 170 he scored for Otago to win the 2008 domestic one-day title are three examples.

Now he is translating that batting talent into tests, cricket's most meaningful theatre.