Image Credit- AFP
Matt Henry took five
wickets in the second Test and kept New Zealand at bay, but Marnus Labuschagne
persevered and broke out of his form slump, only to fall painfully short of a
century at Hagley Oval.
On the final ball before lunch on the second day, Glenn Phillips made a
spectacular catch at gully off Tim Southee after Labuschagne leaped high to his
right. Labuschagne was removed for ninety.
Australia had lost
four wickets in the session and were 221 for 8 before lunch, leading by 59
runs. After impressing during New Zealand’s first Test defeat, Henry has once
again been the star performer with 5 for 60.
Once again, Australia’s faltering batting order was unable to generate a strong
effort, but Labuschagne’s 147-ball knock brilliantly supported the innings.
Only two of Labuschagne’s 11 hundreds have come from outside of Australia. Over
the past 12 months, he has had poor form and his Test average has fallen below
50 after previously rising beyond 60. Before this game, he had endured four
straight single-digit innings.
After lunch, New
Zealand will want to finish off Australia’s innings swiftly because batting
seems easier in sunny conditions. After their dismal 162 run first innings,
they had been playing catch up, and on day two, they needed early wickets as
Australia resumed at 124 for 4, trailing by just 38 runs.
Their desperation was immediately apparent when Labuschagne was hit by Henry
outside the line of off-stump, and Southee attempted in vain to review an LBW
shout.
Daryl Mitchell dropped Nathan Lyon, the nightwatcher, at first slip, a chance
he ought to have taken above his head, leaving New Zealand disappointed. With
just four wickets in his last three Test matches, Southee desperately needed
this one.
Following his
first-ever five-wicket Test match victory in Wellington, Southee resorted to
Phillips’ offspin, which Sears was unable to disturb Labuschagne with. It
turned out to be a wise decision as Phillips dismissed Alex Carey with his
second ball after the latter gave up the wicket on 14 with a badly timed paddle
stroke.
Josh Inglis is breathing down Carey’s neck, and with just two half-centuries in
his previous eighteen innings, his status in the team will be even more
scrutinised.