Australia vs New Zealand 2nd Test Day 3 Review: Taylor, Williamson shine as New Zealand make a remarkable comeback

Australia vs New Zealand 2nd Test Day 3 Review: Taylor, Williamson shine as New Zealand make a remarkable comeback: After 7 match-days wherein Australia thoroughly dominated the proceedings, New Zealand finally showed the home team as to why they are widely considered as one of the most dangerous cricket teams in the world today. In a stunning recovery, Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson severely blunted the Aussie pace attack, giving a taste of their own medicine. At the end of the day, the New Zealand had on board, trailing by just runs.

And all the credits goes to Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson. The duo continued from where they left off yesterday, batting spectacularly well throughout the entire first session. Just like the Australian innings, there was absolutely no help for the bowlers with the old ball. The entire first session can be crunched into two events – Kane Williamson’s sublime shot selection, and the absurd interruption caused by the sight screen. Williamson was especially supreme with his drives, and he managed to score yet another century in this series, his second. Meanwhile, Ross Taylor was slowly creeping towards a big score, after successfully crossing the half-century landmark before the lunch. The Blackcaps went to lunch with heads held high, the scorecard reading 259 for the loss of 2 wickets.

But the post lunch session did not provide any respite for the bowlers. The duo continued to score freely, at a brisk run rate above 4, and the Aussies were running out of options. The most disappointing of the lot were Mitchell Johnson and Nathan Lyon, who couldn’t replicate their past magic in a belter of a pitch.

But everything changed once the new ball was introduced. Or rather, the “new” new ball.

After negotiating the new ball, the umpire called out for a change in the ball due to an irregular shape. And in the immediate next ball, the Aussies got the much-required breakthrough, removing the dangerous Williamson. Their mammoth partnership was highest by a New Zealand pair in Australia, as Kane departed after scoring 166. But Ross Taylor was literally stuck to the crease. He had silently got to his century just after the lunch session, and was well set for a big one. But met turbulence in the form of Mitchell Starc.

Starc, though the most economical amongst the pacers today, had an off day till then. But after getting his hands on the new ball, he breathed fire. Bowling at an astonishing pace which has not been witnessed since the retirement of Akhtar’s and Lees, Starc eventually managed to break two things during his spell – Brendon McCullum’s bat, and the 160 kmph barrier, the first ever left arm bowler to breach the barrier since the records were stored. The duo just scrapped past Starc’s spell, and Starc was unlucky not to get both the wickets of Taylor and McCullum. Both were dropped in tough chances.

But post the ferocious spell, McCullum fell anticlimactically to Mitchell Marsh, ironically, misreading the pace of the ball. Even Walting and Bracewell couldn’t stick around, as they perished to Starc and Johnson respectively. The latter was hammered all around the park today at his favorite venue, and this wicket was more of a balm to heal the wounds inflicted. But by the time the wickets fell, the deficit was well below 100. All thanks to Ross Taylor, who notched up a brilliant double century, single-handedly held together the New Zealand innings in the final hour. At the end of the day, Taylor ended up with 235 to his name, and the deficit now reduced to 49 runs.

Summary

Williamson and Taylor made an excellent recovery to give the Aussies a taste of their own medicine. While Williamson fell during post Lunch session, Taylor batted throughout the day to notch up a brilliant double century. The Aussies, with the exception of Starc, were hammered in a flat pitch, and couldn’t stop the flow of runs. With the cracks finally widening up, one can expect some absurd irregularities in the pitch tomorrow.

Scorecard

Australia 559/9 decl

New Zealand 510/6 (Ross Taylor 235*, Kane Williamson 166; Starc 2-83)