New Zealand were comprehensively outplayed throughout by Australia who notched their 20th test win at the Gabba in an unbeaten streak stretching back to 1988.
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One man who will not be in the side is all-rounder James Neesham, who batted on Monday despite a back injury that has ruled him out for the rest of the series.
Coach Darren Lehmann has promised no complacency after Australia’s solid victory over New Zealand in the first Test, saying Tuesday that his young team needed to do it all again in Perth. “We’d like to have a bit more cricket but you can’t control the weather”.
“Kane Williamson aside, (New Zealand) have found scoring hard on what is widely considered a batsman-friendly surface”, the piece continued.
New Zealand captain McCullum fought a thrilling rearguard with a run-a-ball 80 but once he was controversially dismissed the writing was on the wall for the tourists.
The New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum on his part chose to downplay the incident and gave the benefit of the doubt to Starc. I felt was playing okay and pretty determined to ensure we were able to keep batting deep into the afternoon.
He only managed three runs before being bounced out by Mitchell Johnson. With the second new ball, and New Zealand’s two challenges restored, Southee challenged Llong’s caught behind decision off Josh Hazlewood.
While Lehmann rated the Australians’ batting as “very impressive” which was scarcely surprising given they piled on 820 for the loss of just eight wickets across both innings, he was not quite so upbeat about his bowling attack.
McCullum protested, saying he had not hit the ball, but with New Zealand’s two referrals already exhausted he trudged from the ground as hopes of staying in the match faded.
Tom Latham was the only Black Caps wicket to fall in the morning session in Brisbane, leg before wicket to Mitchell Starc for 29.
Australia scored a mammoth 556 for four declared in their first innings while the Kiwis replied with 317 all out to concede a 239 run lead.
It was Australia’s first Test since the end of the Ashes, and Johnson has previously said that he considered retiring along with Michael Clarke, Shane Watson, Chris Rogers and Brad Haddin after the England tour.
New Zealand 2nd innings: 142 for 3 (Kane Williamson 59; Nathan Lyon 2/33).
Tim Southee in action in the first test in Brisbane.
Things went from bad to worse for the Black Caps when Doug Bracewell was dismissed first ball, plumb lbw to a full inswinger from Marsh.
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Lyon had figures of two for 33 in 11 overs and one suspects that he will be the key on day five while Starc took one for 24 in 13 overs.
