Brendon McCullum looked it too, but call it a happy shattered, after New Zealand pulled off a thrilling 40-run win over India in the opening test at Eden Park yesterday.
It continued the hold they've had on the world No 2 test nation since they arrived in New Zealand and lost the ODI series 4-0; and it moves New Zealand up to seventh on the test rankings.
That mightn't sound much, but is a step in the right direction, on the back of a third successive test victory, having beaten the West Indies before Christmas, for a side who struggled through a grim, winless 2013.
The smiles are back, the self belief is growing and the fighting qualities are intact.
"It was a gripping test," man of the match McCullum said.
"Whilst we didn't ram home the advantage in the second innings with the bat I thought we showed a lot of heart and character today to continue to bash away, keep fighting hard and get the result. I'm immensely proud of all the boys."
India started the fourth day at 87 for one, chasing 407. Only four times in history has a side scored over 400 to win a test; the odds were heavily against the visitors, but they gave it a real crack.
Fortunes swung through the day.
When centurymaker Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli were in full flight, they made batting look easy and the target just a matter of time.
But Kohli, so gifted but prone to moments of rashness, played a poor stroke to give wicketkeeper BJ Watling one of his six catches in the innings, on 67.
Dhawan, having completed his second test hundred, fell to a Neil Wagner snorter and New Zealand lucked in when Ajinkya Rahane was given lbw by umpire Steve Davis off an inside edge, off the first delivery with the second new ball just before tea.
When Rohit Sharma departed the first ball after the restart, New Zealand could see an opening. But MS Dhoni and Ravi Jadeja caught them off guard with a roaring stand of 54 in 34 balls.
If Jadeja's dismissal, holing out to mid on, was vital, Dhoni's was the clincher, playing a pull shot onto his stumps, dislodging a bail.
On such small margins tests swing. Last March England wicketkeeper Matt Prior played a ball onto his stumps. The bails wobbled but stayed in place. Prior finished unbeaten with a century and England's last pair hung on.
"It was a matter of working out the ebbs and flows, when to push, when to pull, obviously attack at times, defend at others," McCullum said.
He reserved special praise for sparky left armer Wagner, whose wholehearted display was crucial. He was rewarded with eight wickets in the match, his best test return.
Trent Boult got the final wicket and split the other 12 wickets in the match with the third seamer, Tim Southee.
India's seam trio were collectively strong and demanding in New Zealand's second innings tumble; the New Zealand threesome matched it.
Dhoni was magnanimous last night, acknowledging the quality of the contest.
"You want test cricket to be really exciting because that's what draws fans into arena," he said. "It was a perfect script for that. It was a fantastic test."
McCullum had no regrets over his contentious decision not to send India back in a second time on Saturday. But at 220 for two yesterday, he'd have been swallowing hard. In the end, persistence and a refusal to lie down when the game seemed slipping, produced the ultimate reward.
