Pakistan v New Zealand 2014, 3rd Test: Didn't bowl a bouncer all day - Kiwi coach Mike Hesson
Even as New Zealand dismissed Pakistan for 351 in first innings and, in reply, posted 249/1 in just 45 overs, courtesy of Brendon McCullum’s unbeaten 153 off 145, on Day 2 of the 3rd Test, at Sharjah, the atmosphere remained glum with players – still unable to recover from the shocking death of Australian batsman Phillip Hughes couple of days ago after being hit by a bouncer in a Sheffield Shield match on November 25 – looking uncommitted and opting against celebrations.
McCullum smashed the fastest Test hundred ever by a Kiwi batsman, off just 78 balls, beating Ross Taylor’s previous best of 81-ball 100 against Australia in 2010. Off-spinner Mark Craig picked up 7 wickets to register the best bowling figures at Sharjah, breaking Shoaib Akhtar’s 12-year-old record: 5/24 against West Indies in 2002.
It was not about cricket – Hesson
New Zealand head coach Mike Hesson said: "There is certainly no elation in there."
"Everybody in our team and management is affected. Some very deeply affected. Today wasn't about cricket. Today was about supporting one of our fellow players and the players really struggled. There is no doubt about that. I think the key for us was just helping the individuals in the group.
"We were just trying to get through the day to be fair. Just trying to get through the first session and helping each other get through it. And then we just moved onto the next one. We didn't think too far ahead. We weren't really conscious of performance today. We just were worried about looking after each other."
Not a single bouncer all day
As a mark of respect, Hesson revealed that his bowlers decided against bowling bouncers the entire day. He said: "You know we didn't have anyone under the lid today, no one fielded with the helmet on. We didn't bowl a bouncer all day. You know that was just one of the things to do ... show some respect."
Lauding the way McCullum conducted himself on the field, he said: "He was going through a range of emotions out there and certainly showed the character of the man to play the way he did. Just the way he has controlled himself as a captain and as a player today is something we are all very proud of."