New Zealand will be favourites to beat Australia in Christchurch and square the Test series after dominating the third day of the second Test today.
Australia, set 289 to win at Hagley Oval, were 77-4 at stumps after an excellent 123-run partnership between Rachin Ravindra (82) and Daryl Mitchell (58), plus an entertaining cameo of 44 off 49 balls by Scott Kuggeleijn helped them set an imposing total.
Tom Latham (73) was the first wicket to fall this morning after adding eight to his overnight score.
In reply, Australia were reeling almost immediately, the pace and swing of Matt Henry and debutant Ben Sears troubling the top order, with Steve Smith, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne and Cameron Green all falling cheaply.
Henry had Smith trapped in front for 9 and Khawaja brilliantly caught by Tim Southee at third slip for 11. For whatever reason, Smith decided to review the decision. Replays showed the ball would have hit middle stump.
Sears saw Mitchell drop Labuschagne only to dismiss him caught and bowled for 6 in the same over, with Green caught in two minds and playing on.
At 34-4, Australia were in serious trouble but Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head steadied the ship a little, although they enjoyed their fair share of luck as ball continued to move around.
At stumps, Marsh was unbeaten on 27, with Head 17.
Despite Australia’s late rally, New Zealand will be confident about wrapping up the Test tomorrow, with the first session crucial as a rested seam attack of Henry, who has nine wickets in the match to go with his eight at the Basin Reserve, Southee and Sears go in for the kill.
There could also be assistance for spinners Glenn Phillips and Ravindra.
The highest successful fourth innings run chase in a Test at Hagley Oval is 285 and Australia's thoughts may be drifting back to their previous Test series against the West Indies recently when they won the first convincingly and lost the second one in Brisbane on the final day.
Earlier, New Zealand were in trouble following the dismissals of Mitchell, Ravindra (82), and Tom Blundell (9) for only 18 runs to be 296-6.
But Phillips, Kuggeleijn and Henry combined to put on an extra 76 to finish all out on 376.
Kuggeleijn was the last wicket to fall when attempting to bring up his maiden Test half century with a six but succeeding only in sending it to long on. He hit five fours and two sixes in his innings.
With Pat Cummins getting lift and seam with the new ball, Kuggeleijn was dropped by Labuschagne behind the wicket when on 2 and with New Zealand’s total at 300.
He struggled against Cummins but decided to take the attack to Australia and got good reward for it. He also successfully reviewed a caught behind off Starc before hitting back-to-back boundaries off the left-armer.
He was aggressive even in the over before tea – pulling Josh Hazlewood to the leg side for four runs and was scoring at better than a run a ball as New Zealand went to the break at 345-6, a lead of 251 runs.
Ravindra and Mitchell took control in New Zealand’s middle order – a total of 109 runs were scored in the first session (at a rate of 3.89 an over), with Ravindra bringing up his half century with a straight drive off Mitchell Marsh to be unbeaten on 67 at lunch.
Ravindra, more circumspect than in the first innings, would have been disappointed to be cut down in his prime.
Phillips, who looked relatively untroubled in getting to 16, misjudged one that turned from Nathan Lyon – which may interest himself and Ravindra – and the latter was out when caught behind off Cummins.
The Aussie skipper’s 4-62 was his team’s best.
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