Australia leave New Zealand struggling in second Test

New Zealand were facing a massive run chase to save the second Test and the series after they were dismissed for 148 in Melbourne on Saturday, with Australia batting again to rub salt in the wounds and extend their lead.

At the close on day three, the home team were 137-4, building on their first innings 467 to be 456 runs in front.

First innings century-maker Travis Head was not out 12 and Matthew
Wade was on 15, with skipper Tim Paine so far resisting the temptation
to declare.

New Zealand began the day already in trouble on 44 for two, having
lost batting kingpin Kane Williamson and makeshift opener Tom Blundell
in a fiery bowling spell late Friday.

They didn’t survive long with a world-class pace barrage from Pat
Cummins, James Pattinson and Mitchell Starc destroying their middle
order.

Paine could have enforced the follow-on, but opted to bat again and
Australia raced to 62 without loss before Neil Wagner tempted David
Warner into a drive on 38 and he was caught by Blundell. 

Form-player Marnus Labuschagne was run out for 19 and spinner
Mitchell Santner snared opener Joe Burns for 35, caught behind off a
bottom edge.

When Steve Smith departed for seven, Wagner’s 200th Test wicket, the
Black Caps were on a roll. But Head and Wade steered them to the close,
leaving New Zealand with a monumental task.

They need a result to keep the three-Test series alive after being crushed by 296 runs in the opening day-night clash in Perth.

Opener Tom Latham was the only one to offer resistance in their first
innings demolition, surviving 144 balls in a dogged 50 before he too
succumbed to the Australian fast-bowling machine.

The world’s top bowler Cummins was the chief destroyer, ending with 5-28.

They resumed with Latham on nine with Ross Taylor on two, but had a
disastrous morning and went to lunch at 102 for six, before Australia
finished the job.

The experienced Taylor was removed in just the third over and Henry
Nicholls followed for a golden duck as they crumbled under consistent
pace and accuracy.

Cummins was virtually unplayable, with Taylor getting an edge to a
searing delivery on four. Labuschagne juggled the slip catch and Burns
grabbed the ball.

A stunned Nicholls was then out lbw after unsuccessfully reviewing
the decision, before BJ Watling nervously managed to defend Cummins’
hat-trick ball.

At the other end, Pattinson, playing for the injured Josh Hazlewood,
was equally menacing and Latham should have gone the next over, but a
diving Smith put down a slip catch he would normally hold.

Pattinson soon got his reward with a rising ball catching Watling’s
glove and Burns taking an easy catch to leave them at 58 for five.

New Zealand staged a mini recovery before Starc got in on the action,
having Colin de Grandhomme caught in the gully by Warner for 11.

Santner was lucky to survive a review decision before scoring after he was caught off a Starc bouncer.

Australia were convinced he was out and replays showed it skimmed off
the wristband of his glove, but third umpire Aleem Dar deemed it
inconclusive and Santner remained.

Latham brought up his 16th Test half-century before he got a thick
edge to wicketkeeper Paine off Cummins, and once he was gone Australia
wrapped up the tail.

Article source: https://www.samaa.tv/sports/2019/12/australia-leave-new-zealand-struggling-in-second-test/