New Zealand cricket team captain Brendon McCullum fired away a brilliant knock of 195 runs to dramatically turn the opening day of the first Test in his side's favour against Sri Lanka.
The swashbuckling batsman's dominating 134-ball performance which led New Zealand to 429/7 at stumps also carried special significance for the 8,000 fans gathered at Christchurch's Hagley Oval.
The gathered fans were looking for an outstanding performance to mark the return of Test cricket to the earthquake-battered city and the signs were against them until McCullum walked to the crease with New Zealand at 88-3, Sport24 reported.
On a green wicket McCullum, who lost the toss, was forced to bat although he desperately wanted to bowl. But within a session and a half he had Sri Lanka on the ropes at the Oval, a venue that was built after the city's former cricket ground at Lancaster Park was destroyed in the devastating 2011 earthquakes, which claimed 185 lives.
McCullum smashed 18 fours and 11 sixes in a record-breaking performance that New Zealand batting coach Craig McMillan rated the best opening day in New Zealand Test history.
McMillan said that it was a very special day, adding that it was the sort of day the venue and the city deserved with what they've gone through.
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McCullum took just 74 balls to crack the fastest century in New Zealand Test history and became the first New Zealander to score 1,000 runs in a calendar year.
He also equalled McMillan's New Zealand record of 26 off one over when he smashed three sixes and two fours off six balls from Sri Lanka's strike bowler Suranga Lakmal.
The skipper went on to equal the New Zealand record of 11 sixes in an innings, one short of the world record of 12 sixes held by Pakistan's Wasim Akram.
McMillan said that even in ones wildest dreams one would never have picked a day of Test cricket like that, especially when the pitch is a little bit on the green side and one loses the toss. He claimed that he doesn't think he has enough superlatives to describe McCullum's innings.