Black Caps captain Brendon McCullum has produced a polished display in Dunedin – without even going into the middle.
The experienced skipper fronted the media for the traditional pre-Test press conference, though initially, all the questions were about his appearance at the Chris Cairns perjury trial in London.
Following the not guilty verdict, Cairns asked McCullum "why" he'd said what he did during the seven-week trial at the Southwark court.
Today, McCullum talked publicly for the first time since the verdict and he had a distinct game plan. The words "moving on" were used repeatedly and he told the assembled media that he was "comfortable" with everything he'd said.
"It was obviously a pretty big deal but it's time to move on, from my point of view I'm very happy with the evidence I gave in London but it's now time to move on," he said.
In the wake of the trial, some have questioned why it took McCullum so long to report Cairns to the authorities but he says he was fine with how everything unfolded.
He added that he didn't hear the verdict immediately after it was delivered because he was on his way back from the just completed 2-0 series defeat against Australia. The last Test was the historic day-nighter with the pink ball in Adelaide.
"But for me it wasn't about whether someone was guilty or not guilty - my role was to give evidence and I remained pretty unemotional about it," McCullum said.
Now the focus is on the opening home international series of the summer against an inexperienced Sri Lanka team. That Test starts tomorrow with expectations that it will suit the Black Caps seamers.
Whoever wins the toss is likely to bowl first, with the Black Caps undecided on whether they play Neil Wagner as a fourth seamer, or include off-spinner Mark Craig.
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