The collective hearts of New Zealand fans were shattered by Australia’s batsmen who produced an emphatic display against the odds to claim the the Test series 2-0 in Christchurch.
Chasing an improbable 279, and starting the day four wickets down with a cluster of the Aussies’ superstars back in the pavilion, the odds were that the Black Caps would secure their first win on home soil in 13 years in front of a rambunctious crowd at Hagley Oval.
As a portent of doom, the first ball of the morning was speared by the dangerous Mitchell Marsh to Rachin Ravindra at point who spilled a tough-ish catch.
However, optimism amongst the southern faithful was restored immediately when Travis Head also smashed one to point off Tim Southee and was this time held by Will Young to make the visitors 80-5.
Statistically, history was on the Blackcap’s side as only three teams had scored 200 runs post the fall of the fifth wicket in fourth innings chases. The hostility brought by Matt Henry and debutant Ben Sears who rattled the under-pressure Alex Carey with his pace early on gave strong indications that this would finally be New Zealand’s day.
That belief was temporarily upheld when Carey was trapped by a seaming delivery from Matt Henry on 19. Sensing the ball may have done too much, Carey utilised the DRS which showed it slipping down the legside much to the chagrin of the fielding unit.
The Fightback
While Carey was having his nervous moments, Marsh bucked the trend of bowler dominance, standing resolute and looking decidedly comfortable against the Kiwis’ attack.Weathering the storm, the pair eventually put on 140 runs, knocking the stuffing out of New Zealand before Marsh was sent packing on 80 by a Ben Sears yorker.
Sears, looking like a man possessed, charged in like a wounded bull for the follow-up delivery to Mitchell Starc who, perhaps anticipating a ball ridden with less velocity, played too early and ballooned a simple chance to Young at square leg. The potential hattrick was narrowly avoided next ball by Pat Cummins who edged one through the fourth-slip gap down to the boundary.
Carey’s stoic resistance was barely challenged from then after, as he and Cummins played sensible cricket and blunted everything the Black Caps could throw at them. Thoughts of a tense final-wicket thriller dissipated as the pair calmly played their shots when required and arrived at the target with three wickets intact.
Though unusual for a losing side, Matt Henry, who took an impressive 17 wickets across the two tests, deservedly won Player of the Series.
Daryl Mitchell caused some controversy and riled several ex-players on social media with his after-match comments in which he alluded to there being more to the game than just winning.
“For us, we’ve always said as Black Caps, we’re not defined by the outcomes, we’re defined by how we play cricket,” he said.
The result and the ensuing comments were no doubt a bitter pill to swallow for New Zealand fans. And with the two combatants not due to meet again until 2026, this certainly will be one result that sticks in the Kiwi’s craw.
