Stats: Plethora of records for McCullum as 300 beckons

New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum struck a second double century in successive Tests to bat his side to safety at the end of the fourth day of the second Test against India at Wellington's Basin Reserve on Monday.

McCullum was on 281, his highest Test score and the second highest by a New Zealander, at the close of play after having shared a world record stand of 352 runs for the sixth wicket with wicketkeeper BJ Watling who was dismissed for 124 in the third over after tea.

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Debutant Jimmy Neesham was on 67 at the close of play with the hosts on 571 for six, a lead of 325 runs and seemingly in a position where they cannot lose the match and series with a day's play remaining.

New Zealand had won the first test at Eden Park by 40 runs and India had needed to win the game to level the two-match series.

Statistical highlights from day four:

- Brendon McCullum's unbeaten 281 off 525 balls is his career-best score in Tests - the second highest by a New Zealand player in Tests behind 299 by Martin Crowe against Sri Lanka at Wellington in 1990-91. The innings is the third highest by a skipper against India. England's Graham Gooch had made 333 at Lord's in 1990 and Australia's Michael Clarke had posted 329 at Sydney in 2011-12.

- McCullum is the second player to post three double hundreds against India. Ricky Ponting had made two in 2003-04 and one in 2011-12. McCullum became the first New Zealand batsman to register double hundreds in consecutive Tests - 224 at Auckland and 281 not out at Wellington. His first double century was 225 in the 2010-11 Ahmedabad Test.

- McCullum has become the second batsman to register double hundreds in consecutive Tests against India. Ricky Ponting had posted 242 at Adelaide and 257 at Melbourne, in December 2003.

- Michael Clarke and McCullum are two captains to have registered two double centuries each against India. McCullum and Stephen Fleming share a New Zealand record for three double hundreds in Tests. Fleming had registered one double hundred each against Bangladesh, South Africa and Sri Lanka.

- With 514 runs at an average of 171.33, McCullum, for the first time, has managed 500 runs in a Test series. He became the first New Zealand batsman to aggregate 500 or more in a two-Test series. His series tally is the second highest by a New Zealand batsman against India in a Test series behind Bert Sutcliffe's tally of 611 (ave.87.28) in the five-Test series in India in 1955-56.

- McCullum's aggregate is the second highest by a New Zealand skipper in a Test series behind the 546 (avg: 60.66) in the five-Test series by John Reid against South Africa in 1961-62. His aggregate is a record by a captain in a two-Test series.

- In the history of Test cricket, a player has totalled 500 runs or more in a two-Test series only on six occasions.

- McCullum's unbeaten 281 is now the fourth highest by a batsman in the second innings in Tests. The only batsman to make a triple hundred in the second innings in Tests is Hanif Mohammad - 337 vs West Indies at Bridgetown in January 1958.

- McCullum, during his career-best knock, faced 525 balls, which is the longest in terms of balls faced by a player in a Test innings in New Zealand. Clive Radley (England) had faced 524 balls to post 158 at Auckland in March 1978.

- McCullum, in all, has batted approximately 727 minutes, which is the longest by a New Zealand batsman, surpassing the 704 minutes taken by Glenn Turner during his 259 against West
Indies at Georgetown in April 1972. McCullum's innings is the longest taken by a batsman in terms of minutes in New Zealand, eclipsing Shoaib Mohammad's 720-minute innings to record 163 vs New Zealand at Wellington in February 1989.

- BJ Watling (124 off 367 balls) recorded a career-best score in Tests, eclipsing 103 off 182 balls against Bangladesh at Chittagong in October last year. His first Test hundred was 102 not out vs Zimbabwe at Napier in January 2012.

- Watling became the third New Zealand wicketkeeper to register a hundred against India. Ian Smith had recorded 173 off 136 balls at Auckland in February 1990 and McCullum - 115 off 140 balls at Napier in March 2009.

- Watling's innings is the longest by a New Zealand wicketkeeper. Overall, the innings is the sixth longest in terms of balls faced by a wicketkeeper in Tests. Watling's brilliant innings is the second highest by a New Zealand No. 7 batsman in the second innings of a Test match. Chris Cairns had recorded 126 off 202 balls against India at Hamilton in January 1999.

- Two other New Zealand no. 7 batsmen have recorded centuries in the second innings -- McCullum and Jacob Oram.

- New Zealand (571/6) posted their highest second-innings total against India -- their second best second-innings total in Tests behind the 671 for four against Sri Lanka at Wellington in 1990-91.

- McCullum and Watling put on 352 - New Zealand's first triple century partnership for any wicket against India in Tests. The partnership is a record for the sixth wicket in Tests, bettering the 351 between Mahela Jayawardene and Prasanna Jayawardene for Sri Lanka against India at Ahmedabad in 2009-10.

- Four partnerships of 300 or more have been registered for New Zealand in Tests - the highest being 467 for the third wicket between Martin Crowe and Andrew Jones against Sri Lanka at Wellington in 1990-91.

- The 352-run partnership is the fourth highest for any wicket against India in Tests - the highest is 576 for the second wicket between Jayasuriya and Mahanama for Sri Lanka at
Colombo, RPS in 1997.

- Jimmy Neesham's unbeaten 67 off 96 balls is the third highest score by a New Zealand No. 8 batsman on Test debut. Scott Styris (107) vs West Indies at St.George's in June 2002 and Bruce Taylor (105) vs India at Eden Garden, Kolkata in March 1965 are the two centurions for New Zealand at No. 8.

- The unbroken 125-run partnership between McCullum and Neesham is New Zealand's highest stand against India at Basin Reserve, Wellington in Tests.