3 records and milestones from Australia's big win over New Zealand in 1st TestÂ
The first Test between New Zealand and Australia in Wellington was a thrilling encounter that ultimately went Australia's way.
Australia were put to bat first on what appeared to be a green-top pitch. Despite losing wickets early, a brilliant rearguard action by Cameron Green (174*) and Josh Hazlewood (39) propelled them to a phenomenal 383.
New Zealand, in their first innings, faultered massively, losing half of their side in only 29 runs. Glenn Phillips then played a quick-fire innings of 71 runs. This meant that Australia enjoyed a first-innings lead of 204 runs.
Turning out to bat once again, Australia added 164 more runs, with interestingly Nathan Lyon top-scoring, courtesy of his 41 runs. Phillips stole the show with the ball as he took his maiden international five-wicket haul.
However, New Zealand still had a herculean task ahead of them. They required 369 runs to chase down in the fourth innings.
Hope flickered for the Kiwis as a solid partnership between Rachin Ravindra (59) and Daryl Mitchell (38) took them to 126/3. However, Lyon's masterful bowling proved too much. He picked up six wickets for just 65 runs, dismantling the Kiwi batting order and sealing a 172-run victory for Australia.
The thrilling encounter also saw a slew of records getting broken. Here is a compilation of three of such records.
#3 Highest 10th-wicket partnership vs New Zealand in Tests
The first innings of the Test in Wellington was significantly impacted by the unlikely heroics of Cameron Green and Josh Hazlewood. After a shaky start that saw Australia lose wickets early, Green stood firm. He found an unexpected ally in the form of tailender Hazlewood.
The duo combined to frustrate the hosts and extended Australia's score from 267/9 to 383/10. While Green bludgeoned the Kiwi bowlers, Hazlewood kept his wicket intact and also played some glorious strokes time to time.
The two players added 116 runs in 193 balls. Their stand is the highest tenth-wicket partnership against New Zealand in Test history. The previous highest also came for Australia when Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie stitched up a stand of 114 runs in Brisbane in 2004.
#2 Joint-fifers in Tests in 9 different countries
While the surface at the Basin Reserve offered lethal turn and bounce on Day 3 and 4, it was Nathan Lyon's exceptional skills that brought down the Kiwi batters.
The off-spinner, who took four wickets in the first innings, killed the game on Sunday (March 3) as he claimed his 24th Test career fifer. Incredibly, he has now picked up at least one Test five-wicket haul in nine different countries, the joint-most alongside Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan.
The only country where Lyon has played Test cricket but hasn't taken a fifer is U.A.E, where the 36-year-old has taken 15 wickets across four Tests.
Moreover, during his magnificent performance in the Test against the Kiwis, Lyon also became the seventh-highest wicket-taker in Test history. He surpassed Courtney Walsh on the list. The West Indian legend took 519 Test wickets as compared to Lyon, who has so far scalped 527 times in the format.
#1 Joint-highest number of players taking a wicket in a Test match
The recently concluded Wellington Test between New Zealand and Australia saw a unique record: the joint-highest number of players taking at least one wicket in a Test match.
Among the 22 players, a record 13 took at least one wicket. This has only occurred four times before in Test history, with the last instance in 1966 (58 years ago).
For New Zealand, Matt Henry (8), William O'Rourke (2), Scott Kuggeleijn (2), Rachin Ravindra (1), Tim Southee (2), and Glenn Phillips (5) scalped wickets. On the other hand, the wicket-takers for Australia were Mitchell Starc (1), Josh Hazlewood (4), Pat Cummins (1), Mitchell Marsh (1), Nathan Lyon (10), Cameron Green (1), and Travis Head (1).
[Stat credit: @srk0804]