Australian bowler Mitchell Johnson (centre) is surrounded by team mates after taking the wicket of Martin Guptill on day 5 of the second Trans-Tasman Test match between Australia and New Zealand at the WACA, Perth.
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Whether the catalyst for a full-scale revolution or a more gentle evolution, the inaugural day-night Test between Australia and New Zealand should lead to irrevocable change for cricket’s oldest and most hallowed format.
There was little swing for Australia’s bowlers early in the day and Siddle felt there was a “slight difference” in the way it played compared to the conventional red ball.
Australian pace ace Mitchell Starc’s summer of cricket could be over after suffering stress fractures in a foot.
Some fingers will inevitably be crossed when the lights flood down at the venue, where some of cricket’s most powerful officials will be among a crowd of some 40,000 people during the day’s first play.
The central interest in the day-night Test was how the newly designed pink ball would react in night conditions under lights, but the Kiwis were in danger of being bowled out on the first day of the scheduled five-day third Test. For the record: Starc bowled the first delivery with the pink ball in a test match, and Guptill faced it.
He believed the ball played out just as New Zealand, based on their limited experiences, expected it would.
Steve Smith said Australia will have Phillip Hughes in their thoughts when they attempt to secure a Test series victory against New Zealand a year after the batsman’s tragic death.
The Australians mopped up the Kiwi tail with B.J. Watling caught in the slips off Hazlewood and Doug Bracewell spooning a catch to Joe Burns to give Siddle his 200th Test wicket.
Ross Taylor, who amassed the highest score of 290 by a touring batsman in Australia in last week’s drawn Perth Test, followed seven balls later.
Confirming the news in a press release, Cricket Australia Physiotherapist David Beakley said a decision on Starc’s return will be taken on due course.
Australia, who lost the toss on Friday, dismissed New Zealand for a paltry 202 runs in the first innings. On top of this, the fact that the ICC Intercontinental Cup, the first-class tournament for the leading Associate and Affiliate teams, now offers a pathway to Test cricket for the winning side of the latest edition has the potential to add further to the story of Test cricket.
Steve Smith is not out 24 and Adam Voges is unbeaten on 9.
But an unfortunate ankle injury forced him out of the field.
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He said: “It played exactly how we forecasted”.
