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.
mapu
Guest
Na they got owned in2 out of 3
balanced
Guest
If I recall correctly, Smith and Warner missed the 2nd and 3rd T20s against India so they could go to NZ early to prepare for the ODIs. Thank god they went over early or we might have got our arses kicked. :-)
BBA
Guest
I thought they did last year, have a good opportunity this year as well
R2D2
Guest
NZ are no pushover. They know the Oz team , play their game and are not afraid to chance their arm. This series should be great to watch.
Lindsay Amner
Roar Guru
An Australian explained to me once that cricket overseas is for the home fans and it doesn't actually count in Australia. This tends to be borne out in the reporting. I remember looking for a Melbourne newspaper report of an Australian ODI loss to Pakistan in Dubai overnight and finally found it nine pages in from the back page in a single two inch column, behind six pages of off season reports on injured AFL players. The only reason this game is being reported at all is because there are plenty of kiwis living in Australia and it happened in a watchable timezone.
Bobbo7
Guest
It certainly is. I've been a long suffering fan all my life and the last couple of years have been amazing. To make the WC final was brilliant and to see guys like Williamson, Boult and others develop has been great. Nicholls is looking quite good too - early days but he looks to have a bit about him.
Digby
Roar Guru
Absolutely. Exciting times.
Bobbo7
Guest
That said Digger, I felt NZ left a good 40 runs out there in the first innings. Kane made a duck and you would back him to be in the runs next time. I think NZ has some improvement too
Bobbo7
Guest
Australian batsman have been able to go hard early on the roads in Australia - the bounce if true and there is virtually no movement so they can just hit through the ball with little concern. In NZ they will need to adjust bit to be fair that is not something that can be fixed overnight - as we saw in England it took the Aussies a bit of time to adjust. Like others have said, Australia producing pure roads all around the country is not helping its players overseas.
Digby
Roar Guru
Aussies won't be that bad again. Great win, will mean nothing if we can't back it up over the next couple. Hopefully we do and take some huge momentum into the test series which I am greatly looking forward to.
Buk
Guest
Congratulations to the Kiwis, a very good batting, bowling and fielding performance. Interesting comment by the NZ commentator, Ian Smith, that for once it was NZ who had the edge in terms of pace with 140k plus bowlers Milne and Henry, and no Starc for Australia. Plus McCullum's approach also looks like it shell-shocks the opposition bowlers. Re the batting, can't see much wisdom in the "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 ... " If they were really saying this over and over to their team (?), as well as to the press, then wonder if they actually psyched themselves out in batting.
Jameswm
Guest
Hopefully the Wallabies can do likewise.
Jameswm
Guest
That's what I understood - that we DID get rolled for 140 on a flat deck.
Norm
Roar Pro
I thought the partnership between Faulkner and wade was very good considering the situation they were in when they took the crease. Good to see the blackcaps closing the gap on their rivals from across the ditch.
maximillian
Guest
The big question is how quickly can Australia adjust to the conditions? I was listening to Jeremy Coney on radio sport yesterday & he made an interesting comment that Shaun Marsh was the only top order batsman that was undone by quality bowling. He opined that all the rest contributed to their own wickets by going too hard too early, or not making the necessary adjustments to the conditions. The loss of Faulkner is a big 1 so I think NZ will win game 2 & take the series.
maximillian
Guest
I only caught the second innings because of work but there was definitely a bit of movement early on. You'd actually hope there was something in it because it would be even worse to get rolled for 148 on a flat deck.
Jameswm
Guest
Should Smith be aiming for no.2 in all formats? Would that be better?
Jameswm
Guest
I didn't see it, but by all reports, it didn't actually swing that much. And if it did, that has little to nothing to do with the pitch. The ball swings in the air, and seams off the wicket.
Observer
Guest
The thought about David Warner's dismissal was that he nicked the ball and was caught in the slips so a review would have shown on snicko, out regardless and the waste of a review. What is surprising about this result is that, if you believe the insufferable rantings from the channel nine commentators, each of these players is a superstar and no one can beat them. Further the captain Steve Smith is aiming for the Aussies to be number one in each of the three formats. Perhaps getting his ambitions ahead of the team capabilities. Maybe a change of attitude and knuckling down to graft a decent score may see the Aussies win the next two.
The truth hurts
Guest
Things will only get worse in Wellington where aided by the everpresent wind the ball hoop and swing all over the place on even an average day and it is considered NZ best pace attack wicket with plenty of skid and pace off the wicket This only shows how the power over channel nine and a greedy Australian cricket board wanting to constantly prepare benign wickets or net-wickets even turning Perth into flat track dribble and have a contest between bat and bat and no longer bat and ball is hurting Australian cricket and the true contest of the game. We now havw Australian bstsmen who are over-rated flat track bullies who are inept at playing the swinging ball on pacy wickets and lost at sea