TALKING POINTS
Follow UsNew Zealand let slip a golden opportunity
After winning the toss and bowling first on a green top, New Zealand had Australia exactly where they wanted. First at 89/4 and then once again at 176/6. At one point on Day 1, the Blackcaps bowling Australia out under 250 looked like a certainty, let alone a realistic possibility.
However, the Kiwis somehow ended up conceding 383 to squander the toss advantage and let slip a golden opportunity.
Unquestionably, Cameron Green (174*) played a knock for the ages, but in hindsight, New Zealand will feel that they simply were not aggressive enough during the final part of Australia’s innings, in terms of their plans and tactics.
Green put on a masterclass of how to bat with the tail, but New Zealand’s plans made it all the more easier for the big Western Australian to go about his business. By spreading the field out for the first four balls and then bringing the fielders up only for the final two, the Blackcaps did not exert enough pressure on Green. At no point did they ask him to conjure up something.
There was also no clear plan in terms of bowling. The occasional short balls were bowled, yes, but at no point was there a bouncer barrage that had Green or Hazlewood worried and/or frustrated.
Tom Latham’s form at home turning into a cause for concern
Two years ago in Christchurch, Tom Latham brought up his second double-century in Tests, smashing a sublime 252 against Bangladesh to propel New Zealand to an innings victory.
Unfathomably enough, however, that double-century remains Latham’s only ton at home since the start of 2020. In a 28-inning stretch at home, Latham is now averaging 36.61 with a solitary ton.
It’s a significant dip by his standards, considering he used to be a very reliable run-getter for the Kiwis at home, averaging 48.40 in Tests in New Zealand till the end of 2019.
After that gruelling 10th wicket stand between Green and Hazlewood, New Zealand badly needed a good opening stand to get back into the Test. But in just the fifth over of the innings, the left-hander chopped one back onto his stumps after misjudging the line.
Any team would always want its senior players to step up against the big sides but a decade into his career, Latham now averages 29.92 in 31 Tests against Australia, India and England, with a solitary ton in 59 innings.
In a way, the 31-year-old owes the side a big knock in the second innings.
Nathan Lyon makes the opponent’s think-tank look silly, AGAIN!
How often have we seen this?
Opposition sees a green wicket -> opposition goes with an all-seam attack -> Nathan Lyon makes the opposition look silly by picking a ton of wickets on the said green top
Too often, I’d say!
Either way, the aforementioned phenomenon happened ONCE AGAIN as after New Zealand went in with four seamers and no specialist spinners, Lyon came in and casually took 4 wickets to go past Courtney Walsh to become the seventh-highest wicket-taker in Test history.
The great Shane Warne always used to say on air that when it seams, it spins. That proved to be true here as Lyon found sharp turn from ball one. The off-spinner used it to his advantage to first break the 84-run stand between Tom Blundell and Glenn Phillips and then clean up the New Zealand tail.
By cleaning up the tail with his spin, Lyon showed the Blackcaps precisely what they missed earlier in the day. The Kiwis, while bowling to Green and Hazlewood, had no Plan B and kept using the pacers to no avail. Rachin Ravindra bowled a few quiet overs but that was about that.
But unlike Southee, Cummins, thanks to the presence of Lyon, was able to change up things by bowling threatening spin from one end.
Marnus Labuschagne can’t catch a break
When it rains, it pours. It feels like Marnus Labuschagne simply can’t catch a break at the moment, no matter what he does.
After a bizarre 1(27) in the first innings, in which he was extremely tentative, the second innings provided a golden opportunity for Labuschagne to get some runs under his belt. He was up against a tired New Zealand attack, and Australia were in command in the Test, with the lead over 200.
But after starting off cautiously (again), he tickled one down leg straight into the hands of the wicket-keeper to perish tamely.
It’s the second time in the last two months Labuschagne has perished due to a tickle-down leg. He departed in identical fashion in the second innings of the Boxing Day Test.
That’s six innings in a row now, where Labuschagne has not scored more than 10.
Is there an end to this suffering?
