David Warner broke New Zealand’s spirit and all manner of records in a scarcely-believable start to the second Test, with Australia reaching 2-416 at stumps. They laid the platform for Australia to push for a series win here. Their chance for redemption arrives this week at the WACA.
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MITCHELL Johnson says he thinks about retirement every day but it won’t distract him from targeting Kane Williamson in the second Test in Perth starting tomorrow. He does everything correctly technically.
“He saw the replay and thought – that looks bad”, Khawaja said. “But we think he’s going to do a great job… he bowled really well last time he was here, against the South Africans in the one-dayers”.
But he needs support, with both bat and ball.
But McCullum, a punter by hobby who breeds racehorses in his away-from-cricket life, sensed the game hurriedly slipping away from him despite the paucity of time passed and gambled the first of his team’s two reviews in the hope of jagging a breakthrough.
Warner continued his aggressive ways in typical style with shots either side of the wicket.
Warner added 302 with Usman Khawaja for the second wicket – the highest in a Test match between Australia and New Zealand.
Warner’s career-best form reached a new zenith and Australia’s dominance was amplified. Where that sits on the overall perspective of Australians, and how they view the New Zealand cricket team, that’s out of our control, really.
Warner was unbeaten on 244, improving on his previous highest of 180 against India at the WACA in 2012.
Warner raced to his century off 118 balls to complete 1000 runs in 2015, with four more tests to come before the end of the year.
New Zealand’s batsmen, who gritted hard at the Gabba but were worn down by a consistent Australian attack, will face a baptism of fire and not only from Johnson.
That should provide New Zealand with a few solace as their dreams of a long awaited series victory in Australia hang delicately in the balance.
Black Caps spinner Mark Craig was the pick of the bowlers, after posting figures of 3-78 in Australia’s second dig, as paceman Tim Southee struggled with a back injury and failed to bowl in the second innings. Mark Craig is expected to move up to No.7, which would allow a four-man pace attack. The make-up of that bowling group remains to be seen, but as an original member of the squad Matt Henry might have the front-running to replace Neesham.
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A series of bowling changes by New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum did nothing to stem the scoring rate, although Khawaja had a third escape on 62 when Doug Bracewell misjudged where the boundary was as he attempted a catch in the outfield, giving the batsman another six runs instead.
