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Australia have begun their New Zealand tour in disastrous fashion, producing arguably the nation’s worst start to a one-day international (ODI) innings in a 159-run loss.
Australia responded to NZ’s total of 8-307 on Wednesday with a shocking collapse of 5-8 in Auckland.
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It was the first time they had lost six wickets in the opening 10 overs of a ODI innings.
The slump ensured only one result was possible.
Matthew Wade and James Faulkner’s 79-run stand averted a record-breaking embarrassment before Australia were rolled for 148 after 24.2 overs.
“I’d like to forget tonight’s game to be perfectly honest,” captain Steve Smith said.
“We’ve got to turn it around quickly.
“It was a disappointing start to the tour.”
The result raises plenty of questions – of technique, temperament, selections and scheduling.
Smith spoke pre-match of the need to bat conservatively at Eden Park, vowing to learn the lessons of a woeful defeat at the same venue during the 2015 World Cup.
For months, Smith and David Warner highlighted the need to be wary of the swinging ball in NZ.
The captain and vice-captain made it clear their side needed to be better in foreign conditions, especially when the ball was doing a bit.
Those words have been ringing out in recent years at Cricket Australia’s training base in Brisbane and administrative headquarters in Melbourne.
But when the heat went on after NZ were invited to bat first by Smith, the visitors were found wanting.
Edges flew and wickets tumbled in scenes reminiscent of the side’s collapse of 8-26, the only blip in last year’s successful World Cup campaign.
Smith and Warner pushed their side to 1-33 before all hell broke loose in front of 25,882 fans.
Warner was wrongly given out lbw but opted against reviewing the decision.
Otherwise, the carnage was caused by a hooping ball, Trent Boult and Matt Henry – plus a spectacular one-handed catch from Kane Williamson.
All of it unfolded on the same pitch that man of the match Martin Guptill excelled on, scoring 90 and sharing a boundary-laden opening stand of 79 runs with Brendon McCullum.
Australia have lost four games on the trot since coach Darren Lehmann was hospitalised indefinitely after being diagnosed with DVT.
None of the three recent Twenty20 losses to India was anywhere near as alarming as what transpired.
But the merits of scheduling a home three-match T20 series so close to the trip across the Tasman will be heavily scrutinised.
The visitors must try to restore confidence before Saturday, when they will attempt to square the three-match ODI series in Wellington.
Usman Khawaja, who was left out of the XI for the series opener, is likely to play the second and third ODIs in place of Shaun Marsh.
Marsh was caught at second slip for five but far from alone in a top order that offered little resistance.
Smith, Warner and Mitch Marsh must also find a way to negotiate the swinging red ball before the two-Test series starts in nine days at Wellington’s Basin Reserve.
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