Australia Aims for Triple-Digit Lead on Challenging Hagley Oval Pitch
New Zealand vs Australia, 2nd Test, Scoreboard
Day one of the Christchurch Test was dominated by Josh Hazlewood’s five-wicket haul, with bowlers exploiting the conditions to keep the game evenly poised.
Matt Henry and debutant Ben Sears stepped up in the first innings, reducing Australia to four wickets by stumps, thereby diminishing the advantage the bowlers had secured earlier.
RELATED: Starc Outdoes Lillee in Christchurch
“Josh [Hazlewood] bowled exceptionally well,” Matt Henry acknowledged in the post-day press conference. “His performance today served as a blueprint for how we wanted to bowl.”
“Bowling accurately and creating pressure was the key. He executed that perfectly. Thankfully, we managed to do the same and took a few wickets,” Henry added.
“The first session tomorrow is crucial for us.”
Australia holds the advantage as batsmen persist despite losing wickets. #WTC25 | #NZvAUS : https://t.co/huHVX8yxxb pic.twitter.com/AMMHMjr3GP
Hazlewood, who claimed his 12th five-wicket haul in Tests today, echoed Henry’s sentiments. The tall seamer dismantled the Kiwis’ batting line-up, claiming key wickets of top and middle-order batsmen Tom Latham, top-ranked Test batsman Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, and Daryl Mitchell.
Despite the successful day, Hazlewood admitted that Australia would have preferred to lose fewer wickets on day one. He expressed hope that the batsmen would step up in the crucial first session on day two to establish a solid lead.
“We would have preferred to be two or three wickets down by the end of today, but there’s still seam movement,” Hazlewood stated in the press conference.
“A triple-figure lead would be fantastic. If the pitch flattens out, we’ll strive for as many runs as we can. However, if the seam movement persists, a 100-run lead would be a strong position.”
The Australian bowler was uncertain about how the pitch would behave in the later stages of the Test match, drawing parallels with a similar wicket from 2016 that flattened out as the Test progressed.
“The wicket was quite slow in the first hour, with not much bounce,” he observed.
“However, once the sun warmed it up, it quickened a bit, leading to a few nicks. There was a slight nip all day, along with a bit of swing, providing plenty for the quicks.”
“The pitch tends to flatten as the game progresses here, similar to our experience in 2016. However, New Zealand managed to move the ball quite a bit, even this afternoon, so there might be enough in it for the next few days.”
At the end of day one, Australia trails by 38 runs, with Marnus Labuschagne and nightwatchman Nathan Lyon, who made a significant contribution in the last Test in a similar role, at the crease.