New Zealand vs Australia 1st Test, Day 1: Australia weathered a testing day at the Basin Reserve, ending with a respectable 279/9 on the board thanks to a superb century from Cameron Green.
New Zealand bowlers put the visitors on the back foot early, exploiting the green pitch to reduce Australia to 89/4 in the second session. Swing, seam, and variable bounce kept the batters under pressure.
New Zealand bowlers Impress
New Zealand’s bowlers, led by Matt Henry’s four wickets, put the squeeze on Australia after lunch, restricting them to a slow scoring phase. O’Rourke and Kuggeleijn chipped in with two wickets each, creating significant pressure in the middle session.
However, the tide turned with the arrival of Mitchell Marsh. His quickfire 40 and a 67-run partnership with Green provided much-needed momentum for Australia. Despite Marsh’s dismissal, Green continued his stellar performance, carrying his team forward with a magnificent century.
Enter Cameron Green
Enter Cameron Green, batting at number four for the first time in Tests. He displayed remarkable resilience, fighting through the initial challenges and absorbing pressure effectively.
As wickets continued to fall at the other end, Green shifted gears, scoring his second Test century in a blistering fashion. He went from 50 to 100 in just 46 balls.
New Zealand vs Australia 1st Test, Day 1
Speaking to the host broadcaster, Cameron Green acknowledged the difficult conditions and praised his teammates’ efforts. He emphasized the importance of someone playing through the tough period and expressed his satisfaction with contributing a potentially competitive total.
Green’s knock, the highlight of an otherwise challenging day for Australia, puts them in a decent position as they look to build a strong foundation in the first Test against New Zealand.
Editors pick
