Published: Nov 07, 2015, 10:58 AM (IST)
Edited: Nov 07, 2015, 10:58 AM (IST)
As the sun sets behind the stands at the Gabba on Day 2, a spectator dressed in the Black Caps jersey held up a banner which read “who cares we won the Rugby.” It implied showing white flag with still two and half Test still to be played. After all New Zealand had been widely tipped to overcome the vulnerable Aussies still showing scars from the Ashes defeat but in just 180 overs the hosts have once again illustrated why they are so difficult to beat at home. LIVE SCORECARD: Australia vs New Zealand 2015, 1st Test at Brisbane
Even the well-planned Kiwis have been rattled. The high expectations have suddenly been lowered. In reality their chances were always going to be slim because of their over dependency on swing bowling. Even the great Richard Hadlee has already declared Tim Southee and Trent Boult the greatest new ball pairing in New Zealand history. But as the pair ran in on Day One and realised there was no swing they were made to look like club cricketers.
Swinging the brand new kookaburra or duke or the SG are Boult and Southee’s utmost strengths. Since the pair started to share the new ball, in 27 Tests they have sliced through opposition with crafty skills taking 220 wickets between them; wonderful stats, but the truth is that that the pair go missing once the ball gets old or stops swinging. READ: David Warner, Mitchell Starc and others to watch out for
Australia is one part of the world where the ball stops moving laterally through the air before any place in the world. So the fact that Southee and Boult took close to 60 percent of their wickets when the ball was 0 to 30 overs old was always going to count against them on the hard tracks of Australia.
On average the pair takes 1.89 wickets for New Zealand in the first 30 overs. In this match they didn’t take any and Australia bolted out of the blocks. First nail in the coffin. A clear message that in conditions that does not aid swing Kiwi bowlers are going to struggle. READ: Steven Smith’s biggest Test till date
Then there was the Gabba bounce that undid their batting. Speak to most ex-players in Queensland and they will reiterate how the pitch on Day 2 and 3 in Brisbane is the quickest. Not only is it the best day to bat on it because of the true bounce, it is also the ideal day for a bowlers that use their height and powerful shoulders to dig the ball into the pitch.
The Gabba provides success to such bowlers. The likes of Michael Kasprowicz, Andy Bichel, and Ryan Harris had success for Queensland due to virtue of hitting the deck hard but on a good length. Such bowlers are a captain’s dream, and so are Josh Hazelwood and Mitchell Johnson. The extra zip of the track and the pace generated by the Aussie quick bowlers were pivotal in the New Zealand downfall. READ: 5 Kiwi players to watch out for
Leaving the ball at The Gabba is an art. It is equally important as a cut, pull or a drive. Playing with hard hands and pushing in front of the body is a crime because edges generally end up getting pouched behind the cordon. The only exception to this rule was Kane Williamson. He jumped deep in his crease to play the ball on top of its bounce. He left the ball brilliantly and played with nice soft hands.
These are skills the New Zealand top order should have mastered. Guptill, Taylor, Latham and McCullum are all culprits of poor techniques. Apart from Latham the rest of them clearly disturbed by the quickness of the pitch. New Zealand are in trouble and they will soon realise it is pace and bounce that brings success in Australia, not swing and hard hands. In space of 180 overs Australia has once again bullied the little brother.
In just two days of Test cricket the Kiwis have a sour taste in their mouth. No wonder they already referred to the Rugby on the second evening. It is going to be a long series if the ball doesn’t swing and the hands don’t get soft. READ: New Zealand’s Australian challenge is greater than it appears
(Gaurav Joshi is an Indian-born Australian who played with Michael Clarke in his junior days. He coaches and reports for a Sydney radio station. Over the years he has freelanced for Australia Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and is a regular on ABC cricket show Cow Corner. He is the author of the book “Teen Thunder Down Under” – The inside story of India’s 2012 U19 World Cup Triumph).
