Christchurch, Feb. 25: Brendon McCullum earned a reputation as the master butcher with his unbeaten 158 on his IPL debut last year, but on Wednesday, the hard-hitter showed another aspect to his batting, that of being cautious and playing according to the situation, as New Zealand beat India in the first Twenty20 game here on Wednesday.

Opening the innings, McCullum made an unbeaten 56 and batted right through to ensure the Kiwis were safely home. "Measured is the one word for it," he said of his 49-ball knock. "It’s probably not the most fluent innings I have played but in the context, and the fact that we had such power at the other end, I was fortunate to be able to hang around and move around for a few singles," he said.