McCullum added it was disappointing that the controversy had detracted from the New Zealand victory. For the third straight time, they were knocked over inside 60 overs.
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Australia were 463-6, heading New Zealand by 280 on the first innings at stumps on the second day. He admitted that the ball was not moving like it moving early in the innings which made the batting easier for him. Josh Hazlewood, who took 4 for 42, forecast harder times in the second innings.
“Once the shine and the hardness of the ball is gone it’s quite a good wicket for batting”.
New Zealand openers Tom Latham and Martin Guptill began positively but Hazlewood got one to leave Latham (six) and a fine edge through to Peter Nevill – confirmed by DRS – left them 17 for one.
First-change seamer Peter Siddle also created early carnage, dismissing dangerman Kane Williamson for 16 with his second ball.
“It does make a big difference, bowling in partnerships”, Hazlewood said.
Although he concedes that century he posted on his new home ground against the Black Caps at the start of his ongoing golden summer, the one the selectors had also yearned for from their number three and which has prompted a further three on the trot, provided the pivot point. “He was outstanding again today”.
Finishing this Kiwi XI off will not be straightforward, particularly on a Basin Reserve wicket that has lost all its green and, in keeping with recent history, morphed into a batsman’s paradise.
He was well supported in the field. Sceptics of the idea were quickly silenced as in front of some lovely South Australia sunsets, not to mention huge crowds, the Baggy Greens won a thrilling, bowler-dominated encounter by three wickets on the third evening, with Siddle and a limping Starc dragging their side over the line and to a 2-0 series victory. Usman Khawaja (57) and Adam Voges (7) were at the crease.
“I didn’t set the world on fire and…I always felt that when I first played for Australia I was playing for my spot a little bit”, he said.
Tim Southee was its best bowler with 2-46 at lunch.
“It was incredibly tough on Wags because he’s done such a great job for us”, New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum said.
Smith had his chance when Craig (1-31) dropped a catch in the slips when he was on 10.
“No one likes dropping catches so it’s disappointing personally”. “We weren’t able to do it away from home, but it would be pretty special to do it at home”, McCullum was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo. “He’s only new into the test captaincy really and captained a bit of one-day cricket here and there”, former Australia captain Ricky Ponting told Melbourne radio station SEN.
“Once his arm goes out there’s not much you can do about it. That’s cricket”.
Craig referred a big lbw appeal against Khawaja to DRS but replays showed the ball was only just clipping the leg stump so the not-out verdict from Richard Illingworth stood. “We just have to adapt to whatever we face on game day”, Warner said.
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“And obviously, many of us played in the ODI series, so we’ll be ready to go for that first Test”.
