Day 2 finished yesterday for the Boxing Day Test between the Black Caps and Australia at the MCG.
What have we learned so far?
As hard as it is for me to say it, the Black Caps have been disappointing so far in the two Tests. The only shining light has been Neil Wagner with his huge heart, athleticism and ability. If all the players were as motivated as Wagner, the Black Caps would be greater competitors.
I fell victim to the hype surrounding the series and was really looking forward to it, but as is the case in life, the event did not live up to the hype. Still plenty of time to go in series but Australia are just looking too formidable, with their pace attack, plus Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne.
I did wonder if Australia’s tactics were to just grind New Zealand into the dirt with slow batting at the crease. There was talk about accurate bowling, slow pitches etc, but Australia seem to be intent on batting for long periods of time.
You could see when the Black Caps came out to bat, they were mentally fried from spending so much time fielding.
Visiting teams are often afraid to bat first in Australia and deep down I believe the Black Caps were hesitant about batting first yesterday. Sure, they talked it up about overhead conditions and the ball swinging around but with a vulnerable batting line-up fielding looked a better option.
When Australia beat Pakistan and New Zealand beat England I thought maybe that Australia would be over-confident coming into the series against the Black Caps, but realise now that New Zealand had been lulled into a false sense of security and thought they would do well in Australia.
To use the Black Caps as an example, visiting teams often bring teams to Australia that have been very successful in their home conditions, thinking that the team will continue good form in Australia. But as we can see with a player such as Mitchell Santner, form in New Zealand does not mean form in Australia.
Players must be selected for Australian conditions with pace and bounce a major priority and spinners who spin the ball. New Zealand were unlucky to lose Lockie Ferguson with his speed and he may well have improved over the series.
The Black Caps biggest problem is bowlers whose top speed is in the 130s compared to Australia with Pat Cummins and James Pattinson bowling in the 140s and Starc touching 150. New Zealand, and I must add other teams around the world cannot compete with Australia’s fast bowling stocks at present.
If Josh Hazlewood was fit, it would be awfully tempting to go into a Test match with a four-pronged pace attack.
If that did happen would the four be the best group of fast bowlers selected for Australia? Yes, there was Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson, but who else joined those two?
The Black Caps desperately need quality opening batsmen. We have seen so far, the pressure added to Kane Williamson when he must go in with less than ten runs on the board. Hindsight is a great thing but Jeet Ravell should never have been selected in the first Test and to have to resort to Tom Blundell in the second is a sad indication of the opening batsmen in New Zealand.
It should be a priority for New Zealand Cricket to develop young players to be opening batsmen. The Black Caps never seem to have been strong in this area, just off the top of my head, Glenn Turner, John Wright and Bruce Edgar spring to mind as being the only good quality international batsmen.
Compare this to the opening batsmen who have rolled out of the Australian machine including Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, David Warner, Mark Taylor, Michael Slater, David Boon, Bill Lawry, Bob Simpson, need I go on?
Yes, Australia has many more cricket players than New Zealand, but now is a good time to prioritise this opening batsmen weakness.
Neil Wagner, so far, is the only Black Cap who threatens to be included in a best combined eleven of the two teams. He really is a machine and is gaining respect from the Australian batsmen.
Wagner’s dismissal of Steve Smith in the first innings showed all his abilities, creating a plan and aggression. And has Wagner shown other pace bowlers how to dismiss Steve Smith? During the first Test I did say that Wagner would be my favourite player of the series and he continues to build on that thought.
Should Steve Smith have been appealed against for handled ball? Dean Jones, the former Australian batsmen stated that Smith should have been out for handled ball, if it wasn’t for the Black Caps being “too nice”.
When I saw it happen at the time did not think “oh, that has to be handled ball”, Smith did not appear to do anything deliberately to warrant an appeal. Jones said that “if it was an Australian side they would have appealed”.
It was fortunate for the Black Caps that Smith was legitimately out soon after.
Why has New Zealand not played a Boxing Day Test at the MCG for 32 years? Judging by the crowds over the first two days where approximately 130,000 people have attended, the Black Caps warrant more Tests to be played there.
What Australia Cricket may not have considered is the number of Kiwis who will watch the Test at this historic ground. Some said just under 20,000 Kiwis were there and it sounded even more!
An observer said that it depends on form as to whether they get games there, but how can you organise fixtures years in advance considering form as a drawcard?
Will New Zealand still be in the Test match over next few days to attract even more of their fans to this historic ground and occasion?
Zenn
Roar Rookie
Lillee and Thommo played alongside bowlers such as Pascoe, Walker, Gilmour and Alderman. Generally they were the two attacking bowlers with Walker restricting scoring forcing bats to chance their arms against Lillee & Thommo.
Micko
Roar Rookie
The three decade wait helped. They were desperate to get one. I can only see a 4 or 5 year gap till the next one.
Gee
Roar Rookie
NZ will be getting more Boxing Day tests here in the future. A ton flew over and those tourist dollars would of delighted the Victorian government.
Peter Darrow
Roar Guru
Chaz, my comment is about right now, not one year ago.
Chaz
Guest
“ and I must add other teams around the world cannot compete with Australia’s fast bowling stocks at present.” :thumbdown: except the Indians who outbowled Starc, Cummins and Hazlewood last summer, something to be said about public memory being only one series old”
Mr Right
Roar Rookie
The current crop is very good but McGrath, Gillespie, Warne with Brett Lee bowling @ 155kmph is the greatest bowling line up of all time. Their absolute dominance of world cricket over an extended period of time isn't a matter of opinion it is an absolute fact! Only Gillespie took under 310 wickets & the four averaged between 22 & 30. The only other line-up that comes close is Marshall, Garner, Holding & Walsh. They toured Australia in 1984/85 and destroyed us. The Windies didn’t play much on the sub-continent so with no class spinner this would have left them well short on those slow pitches. The Australian outfit starred in all conditions, just ask Mike Gatting.
dungerBob
Roar Rookie
I reckon Carey could replace Wade now Micko. Not that I'd do that yet. I thought Wade played really well in England and earned himself a few brownie points but if he slumps for too long I wouldn't hesitate to move Head to 5 and slot Carey in at 6..
Micko
Roar Rookie
It doesn't help they pick the wrong team for Aussie conditions. Ferguson should've replaced Southee in NZ, Raval should've been replaced in NZ, and Santner should've been replaced in NZ. The England series in NZ should've been their warmup for the first Test in Perth, with the best players likely to play and win in aussie conditions playing in the Tests in NZ. Southee was only likely to succeed in Perth: D/N Test with pink ball. As we've seen when swing disappears, he becomes cannon fodder.
Micko
Roar Rookie
Yes Bob, Head has the potential if he keeps concentrating and making more hundreds, and Wade is a temporary solution with players like Pucovski and other young batting prodigies coming through to hopefully replace him. Carey looks like he'll be a good replacement for Paine in a couple of years time.
Tanmoy Kar
Roar Rookie
With 8 wickets down for 116 runs this morning, Kiwis have already lost this Test match and the Series as well. What is the use of 20K supporters if there is no competition? Kiwis are good only in their backyard.
Burwale
Guest
And Neser waiting in the wings. Would love to see whether he has the goods at this level.
Peter Darrow
Roar Guru
The point I was making Stuart was a group of 4 fast bowlers in the same team, at same time.
Peter Darrow
Roar Guru
They are currently 81 for 5. I don't believe I am being negative. The comment about combined eleven is based on form in this series.
Peter Darrow
Roar Guru
Which is what they are right about now. Bat first, show some courage.
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
McGrath a similar average to Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood just behind Gillespie but well ahead of Lee, but Warne miles ahead of Lyon. A difference in average of 7 per wicket between those two equates to nearly 35 runs more per match on average being scored by the opposing team, if the spinner bowls a quarter of all overs.
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
Gotcha. Lillee and Thomson usually had Max Walker and sometimes Gary Gilmour as the third quick. Both fine bowlers, but mid 130s fast-medium. On a couple of rare occasions they went with all four I think. The current four would probably be the fastest quality quartet Australia has had. In the late 80s, Australia may have gone in with a quartet of Lawson, Alderman, Hughes and Rackemann or McDermott, handy but a notch below the two other combos touted.
Peter Darrow
Roar Guru
Dave J With the 4 fast bowlers, I did mean being available from the same team at same time.
jameswm
Roar Guru
Cummins v McGrath. Pigeon by a bee’s... Starc v Dizzy. Hazlewood would be ahead. Dizzy > Starc. But Haze > both. Patto > Lee. Warne > Garry. If Haze was bowling I’d have the current mob ahead - just.
Stuart
Roar Rookie
I think I’d rate McGrath, Lee and Gillespie with the support of Warne as superior to our current awesome bowling unit but the gap is not gret, especially as Cummins has the potential to be an all time great and Hazlewood when fit is very nearly a McGrath clone. Still, given a couple of weaknesses in our batting lineup I would be hesitant to go with 4 quicks. As for picking Swepson for Sydney I think the selectors would be better served using Labuschagne more, as he’s shown on unhelpful pitches he can be handy.
dungerBob
Roar Rookie
NZ rocked up with an out of form opener and no reserve top order bat as well as a spinner who doesn't spin the ball. I'd argue that with his action Santner pretty much can't spin the ball, there's simply not enough energy there to get the revs required on our pitches. I understand that you can't just pluck top order bats out of thin air but I heard that Blundell bats at 5 or 6 for his domestic team. Why didn't they include someone who at least bats in the top 4. With the spinner, surely there's someone in NZ who at least uses both arms and has a chance of giving it a rip. .. The Kiwi's are often praised for being a 'smart' team. A team that maximises its talent via top notch planning. It seems to me that the suits in NZ have exploded that theory by making some really dumb choices. .. ps, I firmly believe that we (Oz) are slowly starting to get our mojo back. We're 60/70% there. One or two more top shelf batsmen and we'll up around 90%. If that actually happens there will be no-one who can stand in our way. No-one.