Venue : Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Toss : Australia won the toss and opt to bat
Captain’s talk
Kane Williamson | New Zealand captain : ‘We would have batted as well. Not a lot of grass on it. It was a good series against India, but this is a new series and we need to adapt to the conditions pretty early. We are going in with two seamers and two spinners.’
Aaron Finch | Australia captain : ‘We will bat first. Looks like a nice wicket, a bit on a dry side, we will need to put the runs on the board. We weren’t consistent enough in the series in South Africa. It’s an unusual feeling, to be playing in front of no one.’
Squad
New Zealand (Playing XI): Martin Guptill, Henry Nicholls, Kane Williamson(c), Ross Taylor, Tom Latham(w), James Neesham, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult
Australia (Playing XI): David Warner, Aaron Finch(c), Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, D Arcy Short, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey(w), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
Australia batting
Hosts massive opening partnership
After a series whitewash to South Africa, Aussies in concern to win the series scheduled at their home ground. Warner and Finch gets in the crease, Warner is on strike. Boult opens the attack against Australia. Warner who is in red hot form starts to strike aggressively and starts gathering runs with Finch. This duo paired and laid the expected partnership, after the power play Australia scored 51 runs without a wicket loss.
Openers half century
Aussies openers strikes without any fear towards Kiwi bowlers. Warner reached his half century from 69 balls. He left unknown about his fifty as there’s no one in stadium to cheer up then Finch approached him to congrats. At the end of 20 overs Australia scored 107 runs without a wicket loss. Finch too scored his fifty and registered his personal 26th fifty. That’s a 100 runs stand from the Aussies openers,they laid a strong base for the Aussies to score further.
Santner quick spell
After a long struggle Ferguson dismissed Warner when he scored 67 runs from 88 balls. At the end of that over Aussies scored 127 runs for a wicket loss. Steven Smith joins hand with Finch, this partnership didn’t last longer as expected. Finch lost his wicket to Santner when he scored 60 runs from 75 balls. Smith too lose his wicket to Santner in his next over and returned pavilion.
Two new batsmen Marnus Labuschagne and D Arcy Short gets into ground while Aussies scored 146 runs. D Arcy Short tried his best to add some score but failed to Ish Sodhi and return pavilion for 5 runs.
☝️ Smith b Santner
Peach. #AUSvNZ pic.twitter.com/twPfwa6Ekw
— ICC (@ICC) March 13, 2020
Labuschagne’s fifty saved Aussies
Mitchell Marsh then joins hand with Labuschagne and tries to drag Aussies to score better. This duo added 59 runs in total to the score where Labuschagne made his second half century. Ish Sodhi in his 7th over dismissed Mitchell Marsh(27) and Carey(1) where Aussies scored 226 runs for 6 wicket loss. Finally Pat Cummins 14 runs off 11 balls dragged Aussies to score 258 runs. Ish Sodhi took three wicket where Mitchell Santner and Lockie Ferguson picked two weicket for each.
New Zealand Batting
Struggled visitors
After a successful aggressive whitewash on India in ODI as well as Test series, Kiwi’s stand against Aussies. In order to chase a target of 258 runs, Guptill and Henry Nicholls gets in crease, Guptill is on strike. Starc opens the attack against Kiwi. The visitors struggled to score runs that costs Kiwis to lose their opener Henry Nicholls for 10 runs at the last over of the power play. Where Kiwis just scored 28 runs for a wicket loss after the power play.
Kiwis star players failed to show up
Kiwis skipper Kane Williamson gets in ground and joins hand with Guptill. New Zealand scored their 50 run at the 17th over. But soon Zampa with his googly dismissed Williamson for 19 runs. Ross Taylor, the man who showed his glorious form against India came into ground. New Zealand is in pressure to build a perfect partnership for their victory in the first match of the series.
But in the very next over Mitchell Marsh scatters Kiwis dream of victory by uprooting their dangerous player Taylor for just 4 runs. The long fought Guptill sent back to pavilion by Cummins when he reached 40 runs.
Steve Smith is a gun in the gully! #AUSvNZ pic.twitter.com/1SrwWQqDEg
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) March 13, 2020
At the end of 25th over Neesham too lost his wicket to Cummins when he scored 8 runs. Kiwis starts to collapse after their skippers wicket and failed to add runs. At this stage Kiwis scored 96 runs for half a wicket loss in total. Latham and de Grandhomme paired and scored 51 runs stand partnership. Aussies in need to break this partnership and Hazlewood did as expected by dismissing Latham for 38 runs.
Kiwis lost their wicket in a regular interval and failed to pair a partnership and lost all their wickets for 187 runs. Finally Australia won by 71 runs and register their first win in the series.
This is a no-handshake zone! #AUSvNZ pic.twitter.com/DNrppiGxC2
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) March 13, 2020
Player of the Match
Mitchell Marsh | Australia : Pleased to get the win at the start of the series. We were disappointed to lose 0-3 to South Africa. We were pumped to get out here and win today. It was not a 300 wicket. The opening partnership set us up beautifully.
Captain’s view
Aaron Finch: It was a crucial toss to win on a dry surface. We bowled well in the powerplay and restricted New Zealand. We both had to adjust to the slowness of the wicket. You had to pick your moments on this wicket.
Kane Williamson: It was a tough wicket. They had an above-par score. That opening partnership gave them a very competitive total. Australia were too good today, tough outing for us. We had to be a bit more tight with our lines and extend partnerships with the bat. The spinners did well and slowed things down in the middle overs.
