McCullum hopes to relive magical night

 
Now, the Kiwi hopes for an encore in the crucial Champions League encounter on Monday against the same side, even if he is playing for a different team.

“This ground evokes happy memories in me. This is the first time I am in Bangalore after that special game and that special knock. I can’t wait to get back into the middle here. It feels good to step back into this ground, hopefully I can replicate that knock,” McCullum, playing for the Otago Volts, said on Sunday.  “This time, the motivation comes from the fact that I have to play a role for my team against RCB, and hopefully I can come up with something good,” he added.    

The powerful New Zealander said he was very nervous stepping on to the ground last time. “Then, I was trying to prove myself and get a footing in international cricket. It was a different challenge then. But yes, that knock will be a motivational memory. I hope there will be a good crowd like last time,” he noted.

However, McCullum was quick to reiterate that he would not be clinging to the past. “The hundred was special. But that does not mean I can keep thinking about that innings. When I step on to the field tomorrow, I have to focus on each ball and play an innings that can contribute to the team’s win. As a team, it is all about improving in a couple of areas, and we will have to do that against a quality side like RCB.”

McCullum also stressed that there would be more names in the Volts line-up eager to make an impression. “There are a few players who can make difference for us. Aaron Redmond has been around for a while. Neil Broom and Nathan (McCullum) too are good players. Then, there is one exciting young fellow – Hamish Rutherford --- if he gets going, you will feel this ground way too small.”

But even McCullum was wary of one player in the rival line-up who can match him for breathtaking stroke play – his national team-mate Ross Taylor. “Ross has been playing well for a while now and has developed into a really damaging batsman. He has got a huge reputation as well. We have to try and prevent as much as possible, but if he plays one of those innings he is capable of, then we cannot do much about it.”