History beckoned for Brendon McCullum when he woke up this morning, and he wasn't about to let it slip, writes David Leggat.

Brendon McCullum made history in the second test by becoming the first New Zealand player to score a triple ton.

Cricketing great Martin Crowe believes Black Caps skipper Brendon McCullum can surpass his 299-run record today - and that India will want him to get there too.

New Zealand will start today confident of avoiding defeat and perhaps even contemplating a win in the second cricket test against India which seemed unthinkable 24 hours earlier.

Long-time New Zealand cricket watchers should be immune to batting tumbles. They've had a lot to endure down the decades.

A career-best performance from Mitchell Johnson fired Australia to a 281-run victory over South Africa in the opening clash of the three-test series at Centurion.

If fans doubted the influence Ross Taylor wields, they only had to look at yesterday's first innings of 192 against India to be convinced otherwise.

New Zealand will name the T20 squad for next month's World Cup tomorrow and in large part it should be a straightforward exercise.

The question was put to the wise Indian scribe: "When did you last see Ishant Sharma bowl better than at the Basin Reserve yesterday?".

Each year at test time, Wellington hosts a New Zealand team of yesteryear.

New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum is nearing a record with his eighth consecutive coin toss loss at the start of the first test against India yesterday.

India are in complete control of the second cricket test against New Zealand after day one at the Basin Reserve.

MS Dhoni - currently touring NZ - is one of six Indian cricketers linked to a report into a match-fixing ring in the Indian Premier League.

New Zealand's cricketers were ''astonished" at the pre-first test late night behaviour of teammates Jesse Ryder and Doug Bracewell.

Australia's selectors face their most important decision since the recall of Mitchell Johnson, as they mull the best response to Shane Watson's late scratching.

India, England and Australia gain all the power despite heavy condemnation, Sri Lanka calling it illegal.

You can't escape the feeling there are more twists to come over the final two days of a remarkable opening test against India.

Cricket, as steeped in off-field intrigue as on-field subtleties, somehow survives as our summer sport.

Ish Sodhi's development as a test spinner will make its sharpest climb in the next 10 days.