Australia inflicted a crushing innings defeat on New Zealand with a day to spare in the first Test in Wellington when they dismissed the hosts for 327 yesterday.
In a Test that will be remembered for two majestic innings by Adam Voges and Usman Khawaja, as well as an umpiring howler, Australia won by an innings and 52 runs.
Nathan Lyon, Jackson Bird, Mitchell Marsh and Josh Hazlewood all shared the spoils as the last six New Zealand wickets fell for 149 on the fourth day.
Photo: AFP
Australia captain Steve Smith said it was the first step in their quest to regain the No. 1 Test ranking which will require them to sweep the two-Test series.
“We want to be No. 1 in the world in all three formats and I think this Test match is a step in the right direction,” Smith said. “It was a pretty good toss to win. Having said that, we had to put the ball in the right areas for extended periods and I think we did that.”
New Zealand were on the back foot from the time they lost the toss and were 51-5 in the first session, skipper Brendon McCullum said.
“Conditions were difficult on that first morning,” McCullum said. “We came up against a team who played a very, very good Test match and we were just a little bit short. It’s not a reinvent the wheel situation, but we’ve got to tidy up a few areas.”
New Zealand had been set a target of 379 just to get in credit in their second innings after Voges’ 239 set up Australia’s first innings of 562.
The recognized New Zealand batsmen made starts, but were unable to turn them into big scores.
After getting to 218-7 it was left to the final three batsmen to add 109 runs. Tim Southee was in a one-day mood with 48 off 23 balls, while Mark Craig contributed an unbeaten 33.
At the top of the order, Tom Latham scored 63 and Henry Nicholls, on debut, added 59, while Martin Guptill made 45 and Kane Williamson 22.
Williamson and B.J. Watling are renowned as doughty batsmen capable of occupying the crease for a long time, but neither lived up to their reputation in the face of a tight bowling attack.
Lyon occupied one end with his off-breaks and the quicks were rotated at the other with a plan for each of the batsmen.
Watling has featured in two world-record stands for the sixth wicket at Basin Reserve in the past two years. He batted for 510 minutes with McCullum in a 352-run stand that saved a Test against India in 2014 and last year batted for 479 minutes in an unbeaten 365-run stand with Williamson to beat Sri Lanka.
However, he was undone in 40 minutes by Australia when he attempted to cut a Lyon delivery and was beaten by the turn, with the ball taking an inside edge to ricochet onto the stumps.
Nicholls resumed the day on 31 and won a battle of wits with Hazlewood, who fired down a series of good length deliveries, seaming the ball away and tempting the left-hander to chase the shot.
When Nicholls refused to take the bait, Hazlewood switched to a short delivery which was pulled to the square-leg boundary.
Bird eventually claimed the 24-year-old with a good-length delivery that bowled him as he tried to turn it to the on-side.
Southee and Craig delayed the inevitable, putting on 59 for the ninth wicket.
Lyon finished with four for 91, while Mitchell Marsh took three for 73.
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