Australia asserted their dominance in the longest format of the game, after they thrashed New Zealand by an innings and 52 runs in the first Test match of the Trans-Tasman series, which was held at the Basin Reserve in Wellington.
Brendon McCullum will not want to remember his 100th Test match for too long, as his side was subjected to a big loss.
Australia had won the toss on the first day of the Test match and asked New Zealand to bat first on a wicket that had a green tinge to it. Australian seamers Josh Hazlewood and Peter Siddle picked up seven wickets between them to run through the Black Caps batting lineup in the first innings. Nathan Lyon picked up the remaining three, thereby wrapping the Kiwi innings for a meagre total of 183 runs in the first innings.
Although Tim Southee sent shivers down the spine of the Aussies in his early spell, removing Joe Bruns and David Warner, Usman Khawaja, who went on to score yet another century, Steve Smith and Adam Voges gave Australia control. Khawaja and Smith put on a 126-run partnership, after which it was the Voges show. His record-breaking innings of 239 runs took the match away from the Black Caps. Australia finished their innings on 562.
It was indeed an uphill task for New Zealand to even overcome that lead and get Australia to bat again. Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Hazlewood and Jackson Bird ran through the New Zealand batting lineup in emphatic style. The top half of the Kiwi batting lineup did put up a fight, but it was not enough. In the end New Zealand fell short by an innings and 52 runs.
The game got over in four days and an innings defeat added to the miseries of New Zealand. The Kiwis will look to gift a perfect farewell to their captain McCullum in the second Test match, which will be the last match of his international career.
Brief scores: New Zealand: 183 & 427 (Tom Latham 63, Henry Nicholls 59; Nathan Lyon 4/91, Mitchell Marsh 3 for 73) lost to Australia: 562 (Adam Voges 239, Usman Khawaja 140; Tim Southee 2/87).
