Published: Nov 04, 2015, 02:56 PM (IST)
Edited: Nov 04, 2015, 02:56 PM (IST)
Australia and New Zealand face each other in the first of the three-Test series at The Gabba on Thursday, November 5, 2015. This series will go down in history for being the first to introduce a day-and-night match in the longest format of the sport. The contest will be a heated one, more so because the Black Caps will aim to avenge the humiliating loss in the 2015 ICC World Cup final to the same side in Melbourne earlier this year. Meanwhile, the Australians have a huge task ahead. Steven Smith’s young side have to come out off the transition phase to outplay the more experienced and settled New Zealanders. SCORECARD: Australia vs New Zealand, 1st Test at Brisbane
The last time these two countries played a Test series was back in 2011 when the Australians had hosted their trans-Tasman neighbours which was also a two-Test series that ended 1-1. New Zealand will try not to remember the first game of that series, also in Gabba. Daniel Vettori was the top-scorer with 96 runs in the first innings where they bundled-out for a mere total of 295 before bowling out the opponents for 427. Worse followed in the second innings when debutant James Pattison’s five-wicket haul, including the likes of Brendon McCullum, Ross Taylor, Kane Williamson and Jesse Ryder, helped skittle the visitors for 150. Australia needed a mere 19.
Williamson, one of the key batsmen in the current side, had miserably failed with the bat. He had managed only the scores of 19 and 0 and Black Caps will definitely want Williamson to perform better in the upcoming opening Test. Taylor, returning from a groin injury, and McCullum, off from the national duty for a long time, will be under pressure to perform.
Meanwhile, the hosts will mostly rely on the skipper Smith and his deputy David Warner to score the majority of the team’s runs. If the duo — Trent Boult and Tim Southee — manage to dismiss these two early, Australia will surely find itself in deep trouble in saving the first game.
On the other hand, Cricket Australia once again has chosen Josh Hazlewood ahead of Peter Siddle. Siddle, who impressed with 2 for 32 and 4 for 35 in Australia’s innings victory in the final Ashes Test at the Oval, was named 12th man with Hazlewood joining Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc in a three-pronged pace attack.
Playing XIs:
Australia: Steven Smith (c), David Warner, Joe Burns, Usman Khawaja, Adam Voges, Mitchell Marsh, Peter Nevill (wk), Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon.
New Zealand: Brendon McCullum (c), Martin Guptill, Tom Latham, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Jimmy Neesham, BJ Watling (wk), Mark Craig, Doug Bracewell, Tim Southee, Trent Boult.
(Sakshi Gupta, a reporter with CricketCountry, is a sports fanatic whose mantra in life is “do only what you enjoy.” Her Twitter handle is @sakshi2929)
