Australia vs New Zealand:1st Test, Day 2- Kiwis face uphill task after middle-order batting collapse
Australia largely continued their dominace going into the second day of the first test in Gabba after reducing their neighbours to 157/5. New Zealand had another forgettable day on the field as they endured a mini-batting collpase initiated by the pace duo of Mitchell Starc and Mitchell Johnson.
After Tea, the Kiwis were cruising at 102/1, before Starc and Johnson shot down the middle order. Kane Williamson and BJ Watling salvaged some pride for the visitors with an unbeaten 39-run stand. The former brought up his 17th Test fifty and remained at the crease batting at 55*.
Earlier in the day, Australia continued to pile on the misery on New Zealand, as they added 167 more runs to their overnight score of 389, before declaring at 556/4. Usman Khawaja was the star of the batting line-up as he brought up his maiden score of 150+, before perishing to the part-time spin of Williamson for 174.
Adam Voges played a useful knock of 83, but he was left stranded at that score as Australia declared soon after Khawaja’s dismissal. Captain Steven Smith narrowly missed out on his fifty as he was dismissed for 48 by Trent Boult.
New Zealand initially started strongly, with the opening pair of Martin Guptill and Tom Latham notching up a 56-run stand for the first wicket. After some consolidation for the second wicket, Latham, just like Steven Smith was unlucky to miss out on his half-century.
That was the start of the Kiwi collpase as the hapless middle order had no answer to a spell of fiery fast bowling by Starc and Johnson.
Both pacers shared two wickets each as Australia, gained upper hand going into the last three days of the Test. The hosts have a great chance of wrapping up the Kiwi’ innings on day three and will be looking to impose the follow-on.
The Kiwis on the other hand, who stare at a huge defeat, will depend on the reliable Kane Williamson to rescue them from a very precarious situation, and will first need to avoid avoid the follow-on, which is still 200 runs away, before any thoughts of saving the game come in.
The hosts however, who are enjoying the one-sided affair will want to finish things off quickly and take an early lead in the three-match series.
Brief Scores:
New Zealand 157/5 (Williamson 55*); Australia 556/4 dec (Khawaja 174, Warner 163, Voges 83*, Burns 71).