AUS vs NZ: Australia is battling to win the second Test in Christchurch, needing 202 more runs with only six players left. New Zealand earned a total of 372 runs before all their players were out. Rachin Ravindra made 82 runs and Scott Kuggeleijn added 44 to New Zealand’s score.
Australia had a tough starting point of needing 279 runs to win. However, the top-order batting line-up quickly fell to 4-34 due to intense bowling from Matt Henry and Ben Sears. Travis Head, who has scored 17 runs, and Mitch Marsh, with 27, managed to stabilize Australia’s game. Their efforts also set the stage for an exciting finish to the two-Test series.
New Zealand continued to bat at a score of 2-134, aware that a full day of batting could pave the way for a special Test match win against their nearby rivals, Australia.
However, Australia needed quick wickets. So, Pat Cummins took charge and claimed the prize wicket of Tom Latham, who scored 73.
Cummins directed a ball straight into Latham, but initial appeals for him being caught behind were declined. A hesitant review showed there was a slight touch on the ball before it reached Latham’s back pad, thereby concluding Latham’s innings at 73.
Still, Australia didn’t have the chance to keep the pace up, as Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell teamed up to form a noteworthy partnership during the morning session.
The duo batted smartly yet aggressively, increasing New Zealand’s lead by 109 runs just in the first session. This happened while Australia struggled on a smooth pitch with an old ball.
Both Ravindra and Mitchell scored well-deserved half-centuries, and their performance remained strong even after Australia introduced a new ball.
Josh Hazlewood, the standout performer of Australia’s first innings, finally separated the pair with a great delivery that slightly touched Mitchell’s outer edge, sending him back with a score of 58.
Cummins, not wanting to be overshadowed, bowled an equally exceptional ball at the start of his new over, taking out Ravindra. His first throw confused Ravindra and swiftly turned away from him, just glancing off the edge of his bat into Carey’s hands.
Tom Blundell didn’t stay for long and his departure was frustrating, hitting a terrible ball from Cameron Green towards Marnus Labuschagne, who was covering, for only nine runs. Although it was a great catch by Labuschagne, the ball and the shot were hardly worth mentioning again.
Australia’s dream of ending the game quickly vanished when Scott Kuggeleijn entered and started hitting aggressively. He quickly added 44 runs, pushing the score over 250. This was despite the fact that Labuschagne had a chance to catch him out when he only had 2 runs but he missed the opportunity.
Patient yet determined, Australia quickly took the remaining wickets after the break. Glenn Phillips (16) was bowled out by Nathan Lyon, and then Lyon tricked Matt Henry (16) into getting caught out.
Tim Southee (0) was easily caught by Carey from a short ball from Cummins, while Kuggeleijn was caught out near the boundary attempting to hit Lyon for a six, which would’ve granted him a half-century.
This led Australia back into the game with a tough task of scoring 279 runs to win. The match took place where New Zealand won against Sri Lanka with the last ball of the Test previous year, scoring 8-285.
However, Australia’s chase started poorly. Smith fell LBW to Henry for nine after a ball nipped back sharply off the pitch.
Labuschagne was dismissed after a powerful attack from new bowler Ben Sears.
During his first over, Sears’ second delivery touched the edge of Australia’s third batter, but Mitchell at second slip missed the catch as he dived late to his right.
However, two deliveries later, Labuschagne managed to hit just six and gave a simple catch to Sears, who was fielding. This action caused Sears and the in-stadium crowd of 8,000 fans to cheer intensively.
At the other end, Henry was performing exceptionally, pressurizing the Australian batters throughout his nine-over spell.
The bowler from Christchurch, who recently took seven wickets in the first innings, soon had the crowd on their feet again as Khawaja was caught by Southee at third slip after scoring 11 runs.
When Cameron Green got dismissed by Sears after scoring only five runs, Australia felt the pressure of being 4 for 34, leaving the Hagley Oval crowd super excited.
But, the combination of Head and Marsh stabilized the game for Australia, creating anticipation for the final day.
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