After Australia racked up 2-416 in Perth last Friday, the first day of the second Test against New Zealand, I’m sure I wasn’t the only pundit or commentator putting the line through the Black Caps.
After they’d been well beaten in Brisbane the week before, conceding 400 in one day didn’t bode well at all for the Kiwis. And a lot of the criticism was warranted, too, with their attack on the opening day in Perth largely toothless.
My particular choice of words was, “it really looks like this Test is gone for New Zealand already”. Going back through the live blog comments on stumps, and more again before play began on Saturday, I might have been kind to the Kiwis.
However, consider this. Since that cracking Day 1 start, Australia didn’t win another session in the Test until maybe the afternoon session yesterday. From the morning of Day 2 until lunch on Day 4, it was all New Zealand, and coming into today – which didn’t seem likely after Day 1 – New Zealand could still win this Test.
In truth, after conceding 400 in a day, New Zealand should’ve been thumped in this game. Instead, some fairly silly Australian batting at the end of their first innings, and then five sessions of New Zealand cashing in on some similarly generous offerings from the Australian bowlers – Mitchell Starc aside, mostly – means that the Aussies still have some serious work to do to win this Test.
New Zealand took the early wickets of Joe Burns and David Warner after lunch yesterday, but then didn’t really threaten much after that.
Steve Smith and Adam Voges’s unbeaten 212-run partnership was as timely as it was imposing. The longer it went on, the less idea New Zealand had about countering, until Brendon McCullum began finding new ways to slow down the game.
Smith’s century was exactly what his team needed. After sliding back up to number three for the injured Usman Khawaja, it was again the type of ‘follow me, boys’ captain’s knock that he seems to have peeled off for fun over the last 12 months or so.
Similarly, Voges going with him and registering his own special century on home turf provides an indication of why he was to be Smith’s deputy on the cancelled tour of Bangladesh in October.
But what does Smith do now to win this Test, and sew up the series before the pink ball lottery Test in Adelaide at the end of next week?
The lead going into Day 5 is only 193, and certainly not enough to declare on. McCullum, along with Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson, and Ross Taylor are certainly capable of scoring quickly, meaning Australia can’t give them too much time to chase down a total.
And then there’s this, too. If I’ve piloted ESPNCricInfo’s wonderful Statsguru machine correctly, then Australia’s nine declared for 559 would be the second-highest first innings score in a lost match in the history of Test cricket.
It would top the 553 posted against India in Adelaide in 2003-2004, and is only bettered by Australia’s 586 against England in Sydney in that glorious summer of 1894-1895!
Australia have to give themselves enough time to take 10 wickets. And on this pitch, even on Day 5, that’s going to take some doing, particularly the way they bowled for a day and half earlier in this match.
As sure as Kookaburra have a quality control issue with their Test Match balls, pedestrian bowlers have gone the journey in this match.
And this is where the ‘play to win’ mantra has already been, and will again be tested by New Zealand. Smith probably erred in Melbourne last year, declaring too late against India, and that may well be on his mind when play resumes this morning.
I suspect we might learn something about the new skipper today, one way or the other.
Taylor handshake oversight unintentional, but doesn’t help perceptions
There’s been a fair bit made across all forums regarding no Australian player offering Taylor a well deserved congratulations after being dismissed for 290 yesterday, the highest score made in Australia by a visiting player.
Dirk Nannes, an excellent addition to the ABC Grandstand commentary team this summer, was particularly scathing at the time:
“Probably the biggest disappointment of that session is that after the innings, [Taylor’s] made 290, not one person from the Australian camp went and shook his hand,” Nannes said.
“In the spirit of the way this game has been played, and the game before, with the exception of that one incident with Mitchell Starc, I can’t help but be disappointed that nobody went out to him and shook his hand.
“It’s not that hard is it?
“You don’t have a guy bat for a day and a half out there and just not even acknowledge it, that’s horrendous sportsmanship.”
Gerard Whateley, commentating at the time, gave the Australians the benefit of the doubt, labelling the supposed snub a “lapse of concentration”, while Simon Katich similarly espoused a thought that it was more accidental rather than intentional.
I tend to agree with this, and certainly, both Warner and Burns could be seen running off the field to get their batting gear on. I suspect it was something lost in the rush to get into batting mode.
But I will definitely concede that Nannes made some really good points that I find quite difficult to argue. And they definitely struck a chord with listeners, because social media became flooded with discussion, and indeed Whateley pressed the former Australian left-armer on the issue again in the evening session.
Nannes’s point was this: with perceptions about the team the way they are currently, with any slight spotfire jumped all over, the Australians should be more conscious of doing the right thing than ever.
“When you’ve had this image for so long, maybe you do have to go out of your way,” he said later in the day.
And he’s right.
If Smith is genuine about wanting to improve those perceptions – and his coming down on Starc after his moment of stupidity in Brisbane suggests he is – then this is exactly the sort of thing he should be mindful of.
In reality, he should have led the team in the direction of Taylor as they walked off.
Jacko
Guest
Yes Jake the WC final official press conference. Check it out. Praise everywhere. Also for every celebration interview for the next week and a half.
Don Freo
Guest
Poor Marsh. Everyone wants to give him a licence to have a hit. If he gets out they are very quick to ignore the circumstances and just quote his new average. When he does begin to build an innings and gets out on a demonstrable, reviewed no ball, all that's quoted is his average. Be consistent folk. Marsh obviously has no problem sacrificing his numbers for the team. Anti-Marsh folk see it as a weakness not a strength. I know all teams appreciate Marsh's kind of selflessness. Perhaps one of the reasons SOK has never made it.
Don Freo
Guest
This line of observation is working against NZ. They....in this case Kiwi Roarers...just sound like precious little indulged children. Ross Taylor says it was crazy to expect that from the Aussies. They were on one side of the field congratulating Jon Wells and he "just wanted to get off" to the changeroom on the other side. To expect the Aussies to ignore Wells because some precious Roar posters and an irrelevant Dutch cricketer have a non cricket agenda is just ridiculous. Just look at the spirit between them at the end of the game. That's where it belongs in cricket. It is always there. Mateship and lifelong friends are developed in international cricket. Have a look at the games with Warnie, Sachin and their mates in USA. Social media has no clout there. Grumblers can have a rest for a week or two.
Rob Marinelli
Guest
This is ALL wrong! Nannes should pull his head in and stop sensationalising, we don't need this vanilla commentating. This is not Big Brother, The Voice or some other personality contest. "the Australian's should be conscious of doing the right thing"!? These are the same commentators that will lambast the side when they start worrying about what people think about them and stop taking wickets and scoring! As my old mate Adam 'The Walking Sports Almanac' puts it - "Even Taylor said it would have been very hard to have shaken his hand before he got off the ground - he skied the ball to the outfield where a tough catch was taken with bowler and his team mates going to congratulate the fielder by which time Taylor had walked off in the opposite side of the ground. The Australian players clapped as he walked over the boundary and also went in the change rooms after play to congratulate him..."
bigbaz
Roar Guru
Most of us ignore ds the dh but your response is absolute gold. Well done
Basil
Guest
well said dude, bloody ocker media, always trying to defend the indefensible!! http://m.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10414764
rebel
Guest
Read the comments above from the likes of Diggercane etc. Only thing pathetic is your lumping of a whole country into a couple of comments, with some of those comments coming from Dirk Nannes. You and Jake are true to form with your faux outrage. Carry on.
rebel
Guest
You do realise you are doing exactly the same thing you are critical of. Carry on.
rebel
Guest
Agree Mitcher, we had plenty of it before the series started with those outraged over McCullem's/Black Caps approach to the sport. A lot of those same people are now criticising others for doing the exact same thing.
Peter
Roar Rookie
My mantra is in order of precedence: 1. play to retain trophy 2. play to win series 3. play to win match
Michael Steel
Roar Pro
Smith doesn'r have to do anything to win this test. Play it out for a draw. It about the series not about a result today.
Republican
Guest
An exercise in futility to contemplate an Australian victory and reckless in the extreme, to set any target for a NZ line up brimming with confidence and naught to lose. This has been and remains a lifeless track for the bowlers. My cricket status throughout school rendered me boundery rider or LRO, i.e. left right out as it was so unfairly referred to. As for most of my generation, our cricket pedigree was forged from many hours dedicated to the back yard and beach variety of the game, so in that respect Cricket is an indelibly cultural affliction, born out at times i.e. these whereby we all seem to assume the expert hat, mostly without merit but with a collective bravado - and why not. In that spirit of bravado, I proclaim that I reckon I could knock up at least 20 runs on this joke of a pitch against either attack. This is a wicket tailored made for a 'Claytons' batsmen i.e. myself.
Jake
Guest
"I have watched the WC winning captain give very generous praise to the Aus rugby side" Not in the final you didn't. The point is, it is getting tedious listening to nz constant self-righteuos bleating on about how poor Australian sports people are when they guilty of it too. Seems like finding fault with OZ is a national obsession of NZ.
JoM
Roar Rookie
I did see that and he is a very impressive kid. There was nothing at all ungracious about what the Australians did. Mark Taylor just said it best on the commentary. He said the Australians went to congratulate the fielder who caught the catch while Ross Taylor walked off the other way. The Aussie players clapped him off even though they were well behind him. As Mark Taylor said, it was Ross Taylor's moment and if the Aussie's had run 100 metres across the field to pat him on the back in front of the media then they would have been in trouble for taking away from his moment.
Republican
Guest
It seems that almost without exception, threads dedicated to this Trans Tasman contest have invited and even incited, the very tired poor sport chestnut in respect of Australia, so seductive to pious Kiwi as well as many of our very own. Ho, hum.
Jacko
Guest
Your rant got a bit scary there Jake. Do you have a fragile Psyche? I have watched the WC winning captain give very generous praise to the Aus rugby side in many interviews plus the captain plus the coach plus their players so not sure of your point-of-view there. Perhaps if you want to comment on bad sportsmanship by others when the article was about bad sportsmanship by Aus cricket (which I don't agree with this article) then follow the whole story not just read 1 article or watch 1 tv channel. This series has been played in great spirit but instead of watching and observing that you just tag on to a incorrect article and critizise others wrongly to justify your ill-informed opinion
Republican
Guest
A play to win mantra is one thing but you need to balance that with a pragmatic straegy in test i.e. these. Why on earth gift NZ a win based purely on the aforesaid mantra, thats a nonsense. The play to win mantra has as much to do with a play not to lose one,
Jacko
Guest
This story is basically a "No Story". There was no "incident" here at all and I think both sides have played with a very positive sporting attitude. I am hopeful that Steve Smith and the new brigade get rid of the sledging which has been part of cricket in Australia as it is no longer accepted as part of a modern society. These days it is called bullying and has been stamped out in all work and school places.
Pope Paul VII
Guest
Greatbatch is still thinking about his epic in Perth. He got sledged to bits and gave it back. Didn't see anyone having a crack at Taylor.
Playmaker
Guest
It all up to Smith, set a total that the Kiwis can chase and back your bowlers. With Starc and the best pace attack in World at the moment , you would hope Smith would have the balls to make a game out of it....but one up , is one up.