END OF OVER:50 | 10 Runs 1 Wkt | AUS: 258/7 | RR: 5.16
- Mitchell Starc9 (4b)
- Pat Cummins14 (11b)
- Lockie Ferguson9-0-60-2
- Trent Boult10-0-37-0
5:56pm This has been a brilliant turnaround from New Zealand. At around the first drinks break, their bowling and reviewing wasn't ideal. But they've pulled it back and their assessment of the pitch, and the decision to play two spinners, has worked. Kept plugging away with their plans, stayed disciplined - not a single wide - and then took a cluster of wickets as soon as the opening stand of 124 had ended. Australia were 127 for 1 after 25 overs, and will be disappointed to have finished with only 258. No matter how slow the pitch got as the sun baked it, they had resources that they didn't use to full advantage. Superb knock from Marnus Labuschagne in the second half of the innings, but he was the only one among the specialist batsmen who managed to consistently score at a high strike rate. Santner was masterful, and really the reason Australia were kept to 258. Boult was sublime when the other seamers weren't going so well, and Sodhi put behind a difficult start and took crucial wickets at the end to strangle the home side. Ferguson didn't start well, but his breakthrough wicket of Warner set everything up. New Zealand will be pleased with this effort. We'll be back for the chase in a bit.