Selected for his one-day debut in opposition to Sri Lanka at Queenstown on New Year’s Eve, 2005, how ensure his partying would go glowing with a sparkly 58, together with eight fours and a six, as New Zealand won with no trouble. His first come across with West Indies resulted in 66 of an opening stand of 136 with Nathan Astle, but his further four one-day innings transported him only 17 runs. He played all three Tests in opposition to West Indies, and one in South Africa in May 2006 as a late substitution for the wounded Peter Fulton. The uncontrolled Dale Steyn detached him inexpensively in both innings in that Test at Johannesburg.

He hold on to his national agreement for 2007-08 and found one-day form with scores of 90 and 76 on the South Africa tour earlier than making 88 and 74 from uninterrupted innings in opposition to Bangladesh. A luminous century followed in opposition to England in Napier to propose his burst through as an international batsman even though his Test performances linger not in agreement. He stood in as captain at the start of the England tour when Daniel Vettori was at the IPL.