The leopard in Brendon McCullum will not allow him to change his spots despite a new job description within the BLACKCAPS Test team.
McCullum embarks on a fresh chapter in his career this week when he unveils himself as a specialist top order batsmen against India.
The 29-year-old has ditched the wicketkeeping gloves in a bid to lengthen his career and been granted his wish to occupy a top order position in the first game of a three-match series starting here at Sardar Patel Stadium on Thursday.
And the maverick in McCullum guarantees that the increased responsibility will not mean he sacrifices the mercurial for a more measured approach traditionally undertaken by those charged with seeing off the new ball.
McCullum's free flowing mode of scoring has served him well as an opener in the one-day arena and at No 7 in the vast bulk of his previous 52 tests, in which he has scored five centuries and averages a tick under 35.
It is a formula he is not about to discard despite being thrust into the new ball firing line.
"I have always been an aggressive batsman. I would like to remain true to myself in how I go about playing," he said.
"I will be aggressive and hopefully get the consistent performances that last a fair amount of time, have an impact and allow us to perform better."
His template has merit as the New Zealanders seek to unsettle India's quality new ball attack of left-armer Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma.
McCullum would not be rewriting any script and points to the likes of India's Virender Sehwag, swashbuckling West Indian Chris Gayle, Sri Lankan Tillakaratne Dilshan and Tamim Iqbal, of Bangladesh, as openers who back themselves from the get go.
"They are all very aggressive players who are capable of scoring all around the ground.
"From my point of view the challenge is to make sure that I can make a contribution."
Captain Daniel Vettori is excited at what McCullum brings to the table, so much so that he will consider separating the opening pair of Tim McIntosh and BJ Watling.
They have shown encouraging signs in four tests together, but Vettori sees extra benefits in employing someone of McCullum's combativeness at the start of the innings.
That would mean Watling being used at first drop, with McIntosh forging a new understanding with McCullum.
"Brendon possibly gives us a little more impetus at the top of the order where BJ and Tim are quite similar players and like to build an innings," Vettori said.
"It might actually take a bit of pressure off one of them is he has a guy at the other end who was more free scoring."
Vettori has supported McCullum's promotion up the order knowing he cannot do any worse than any number of top order batsmen who have come and gone over the years.
"It is exciting to add another element into our top three," Vettori said.
"We have struggled perennially there throughout the history of our game. It's been a really difficult position for our batsmen.
"Brendon knows his game (top order) from the one-day version so it's not it'll be a complete surprise for him.
"And if we can get him going and he performs like he did last summer (test centuries against Bangladesh and Australia) then it could be a huge bonus for us.
"I see some real potential there."
Audio: Press conference
Content: NZPA
