Australia raced through New Zealand with the ball and offered dogged resistance with the bat to claim the box seat in the second Test. A Josh Hazlewood-inspired attack rolled New Zealand for 162 inside two sessions, as Australia’s pacemen cashed in on Pat Cummins winning the toss.
Hazlewood claimed 5-31, including four of the top five Kiwi batters, while Mitchell Starc surpassed the great Dennis Lillee’s 355 Test wickets on his way to 3-59.
In reply, Australia wobbled at 32-2 before Marnus Labuschagne (45 not out) calmed proceedings. Cam Green and Travis Head fell in the final hour of the day but at 124-4 Australia sit just 38 runs in arrears.
New Zealand were sent in and then sent packing at Hagley Oval, the Kiwis reeling at 107-8 before a late patch-up job by Matt Henry and Tim Southee, who put on 55 for the ninth wicket.
The day was dominated by the Australian quicks, beginning with Starc, who now sits behind only Glenn McGrath for Test wickets by an Australian paceman. Starc had Will Young (14) superbly caught when his leading edge deflected to Mitch Marsh at third slip.
From there Hazlewood took over, removing Tom Latham (38), Kane Williamson (17), Rachin Ravindra (four) and Daryl Mitchell (four). Hazlewood tallied his victims with his trademark consistency, with all but Williamson caught behind the wicket.
Williamson, in his 100th Test, was trapped in front by a pearler of a delivery which angled in to stun New Zealand’s master batter.
The ugliest dismissal was Ravindra, who arrived at the crease when the Black Caps desperately needed a steadying partnership just prior to lunch. Instead, Hazlewood tempted the 24-year-old into driving and he was caught by Usman Khawaja at first slip.
Hazlewood’s line and length, slightly fuller than last week at the Basin Reserve, was simply irresistible for the Kiwi bats. None formed a better stand than Southee and Henry, who bats at nine but is the Black Caps’ unlikely leading run scorer for the series.
In reply, debuting quick Ben Sears (1-38) enjoyed a rich introduction to Test cricket.
Steve Smith (11) punished Sears’ first delivery, hitting a legside delivery for four, but the bowler rebounded two balls later to fire an inswinger that had Smith shouldering arms when he needed to defend, trapping Australia’s opener lbw.
Henry (3-39), backing up his impressive first Test, fired again to give New Zealand something to cling to heading into day two. The pumped-up paceman bowled Khawaja (16) and Green (25) before the aggressive Head (21) tickled a bottom edge to wicketkeeper Tom Blundell.
Labuschagne, returning to form after six straight scores of 10 or fewer, will resume with nightwatchman Nathan Lyon on Saturday.
Australia’s first Test win means New Zealand can only draw the series and cannot win back the trans-Tasman Trophy.
Instead, the tourists are targeting World Test Championship points, while New Zealand hope to avoid a 5-0 tour whitewash, given Australia’s sweep in the three-match Twenty20 series.
