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'We can't outlast India, we've got to take them on'
New Zealand wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum has said that the Black Caps must be ready to take on the M S Dhoni-led Indian cricket team in the forthcoming Test series.
"We've got to take them on. We can't outlast them; their stats prove that they can outlast pretty much any opposition. So we're going to have to bowl well and get clever with our fields and plans with the ball," stuff.co.nz quoted McCullum, 29, as saying.
McCullum plundered 61 off 45 balls in the Bangladesh series opener, then scored 25 from his next three innings.
He arrives for his first test tour of India with his figures on the upswing, having scored 388 runs at 77.6 from his most recent three tests; one against Bangladesh and two against Australia.
He hopes he has five or six years at the top level in all three formats, and with his test average sitting at 34.9, including five centuries and 16 50s, it's time to kick on in his new top-order spot.
He said: "I don''t know whether it's going to work but my focus is there and I've got immense drive to score runs at the top of the order in test cricket and to win more test matches. I've been involved in 52 tests and we've won hardly any. There haven''t been too many real memorable series victories."
'I'm desperate to stay at the top'
McCullum has told captain Daniel Vettori that he is desperate to remain as an opener for next year's World Cup.
McCullum spoke to Vettori on Wednesday after it emerged that the team management were leaning towards shuffling him down the order at No. 7.
"I had a brief chat with Dan and he reiterated everything was up for discussion. I'm desperate to stay at the top of the order because I think I can add some value there," Stuff.co.nz quoted McCullum, as saying.
"Through my career at the top I've had times where I've made an impact and won some games. And the partnership with Jesse [Ryder] can, on its day, be electric and we may need that heading into a World Cup. But I guess those aren't my decisions to make," he added.
'When you lose 4-0 in Bangladesh you can't come home and expect a parade'
McCullum said that the Black Caps have got to accept the blame for their recent one-day series loss against Bangladesh squarely.
Accepting that the public fallout from New Zealand's ODI series whitewash in Bangladesh was as brutal as he could remember.
"It's been pretty intense because it's involved everyone; looking at the structure, the selection and the players. Everyone's copped some."
"I guess when you lose 4-0 in Bangladesh you can't come home and expect a parade. We didn't play well and we've just got to cop it sweet. There's no point in crying into your beer about it," he added.
"You've just got turn the page and move on to the next tour. As long as we learn some lessons it'll probably be good for us. It could be the best or worst thing that could happen," McCullum said.