Christchurch: Century-makers Joe Burns (170, 321b, 20×4) and Steve Smith (138, 241b, 17×4) shredded the New Zealand attack to have Australia in charge of the second Test, before both fell in the dying stages of day two at the Hagley Oval, here Sunday. The visitors ended the day on 363 for four, only six shy of New Zealand’s first innings score of 370.
Both Burns and his captain Smith ensured the momentum swung Australia’s way as the pitch flattened out. Burns spent a lot of time successfully fighting off Neil Wagner’s (2/63) short ball tactic before eventually pulling one to Martin Guptill at square leg with 28 balls left in the day. Five balls later, in a repeat scenario, Guptill gave Wagner his second wicket and Smith was gone.
Until Smith’s dismissal, the only moment of concern in his classy innings came when he was felled by a fearsome Wagner bouncer in the last over before tea. He lay prone on the ground for a few moments, but as the New Zealand players rushed to his aid, Smith staggered to his feet and after medical attention he resumed his innings with a single off the next ball.
“It was a bit off scary moment for me,” Wagner said after the end of the day’s play. “Kind off shook me up a lot. But then bouncers are legal deliveries and I never bowl them with the intention of hitting the batsman on the head.”
The Burns-Smith partnership produced 289 runs, an Australian third-wicket record against New Zealand.
After Australia resumed the day at 57-1, they added 306 for the loss of three wickets with Usman Khawaja the first to go.
New Zealand quicks Trent Boult (2/85), Tim Southee and Mark Henry had the better of the exchanges at the start of the day.
Boult put an added spring in the step of the New Zealanders with the valuable wicket of Khawaja for 24, caught low down by McCullum at first slip.
The Khawaja wicket brought Smith and Burns together and after a cautious first hour, they upped the tempo as the life drained from the New Zealand attack.
McCullum used every trick in his playbook from short-pitched bowling, to the leg theory, to part-time spinner Kane Williamson, before Wagner’s late breakthrough.
Brief scores: New Zealand 370; Australia 363 for 4 (Joe Burns 170, Steve Smith 138, Neil Wagner 2/63). Match to continue. PTI