***Official*** Australia in New Zealand 2016

[Redbacks]

The positive for NZ is Aus have had plenty of good wins followed by a batting collapse the next match. If the conditions are right, we are still to prove we can bat through a tough spell without falling over.

 

[Jord]

Still think match would've been much closer had we selected Henry in favor of Bracewell and if we play the same XI against Australia we'll get beaten just as easily. It's scary when you can argue with quite some merit that Steve Smith is only the third best batsman in their side and that their bowling attack will undoubtedly be better in the next test with Pattinson than it was in this one.

It's hard to be too fatalistic about NZ as I still think we're ultimately a Top 4 side in all formats and this series could've been quite a bit different had we not had injuries to Baz, Southee, Boult, Santner, Taylor and Watling which has no doubt disrupted their ability to build form and go in with their plans intact. I still think we're doing ourselves no favors by selecting four players who legitimately cannot help us win a match against Australia but I really don't see many other options knocking down the door with form either.

 

[Kippax]

Black Caps call for green seamer at Hagley Oval for second test after dry Basin | Stuff.co.nz

"I would have liked this to have been much greener than it was. It only seamed for two hours and that meant that both sides weren't able to be exposed in those conditions," Hesson said.

"It's a bit different when it seams for two hours, it makes the toss a little bit more important."

 

[Gnske]

This time it'll last an entire day before it goes flat.

 

[Moss]

Well, what to make of that. On the one hand it's almost an open admission that NZ won't beat Australia on a true surface. On the other, I did post that the search for the win calls for desperate measures..

 

[Jord]

Does Hesson not realise that Hazelwood and Siddle are much better seam bowlers than anyone we have in our unit and that preparing a pitch that seams each way actually favors them? In reality, we probably want to prepare as close to an Australian hard bouncy wicket as possible being that they don't have Starc, Johnson or anyone else bowling 150kph.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Does Hesson not realise that Hazelwood and Siddle are much better seam bowlers than anyone we have in our unit and that preparing a pitch that seams each way actually favors them? In reality, we probably want to prepare as close to an Australian hard bouncy wicket as possible being that they don't have Starc, Johnson or anyone else bowling 150kph.

no. the more helpful the bowling conditions, the less a gap in ability between the teams will effect the result. Much better chance of an upset on a green seamer than a flat track. Prepare a road and Aus will make 600 and still probably bowl NZ out for 300 ish in each innings because they have more incisive quicks + Lyon.

 

[Bahnz]

Yeah, that's very much the lesson of the last ashes (though obviously Australia's bowling attack isn't as intimidating now as it was then).

Hesson in denial about the reasons for the size of the first test loss (the bowling unit producing pies and catching with bricks for hands) doesn't make me hugely optimistic regarding the second test.

 

[Daemon]

no. the more helpful the bowling conditions, the less a gap in ability between the teams will effect the result. Much better chance of an upset on a green seamer than a flat track. Prepare a road and Aus will make 600 and still probably bowl NZ out for 300 ish in each innings because they have more incisive quicks + Lyon.

Yeah. I guess it's between wanting to risk a deck that doesn't stay green for long that could benefit you if you win the toss, and one that has movement for at least a couple of days.

 

[Dan]

AWTA; early days but I peg him as better than Clarke or Ponting as a skipper. At the same time I'm worried that with Baz retiring that we're going to lose a lot of what was working for us in the field.

Nah, people are seriously underrating Clarke's on-field tactical abilities here. Which is weird, because everybody recognised them when he was doing it.

TPC's a lot less flexible IMO; struggles to work out how best to use Lyon and strikes me as very reliant on his top two seamers. There's more Cook than Clarke in him at this stage, from a bowling tactics POV. Certainly a disciple of Clarke in the declaration stakes, though.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Nah, people are seriously underrating Clarke's on-field tactical abilities here. Which is weird, because everybody recognised them when he was doing it.

TPC's a lot less flexible IMO; struggles to work out how best to use Lyon and strikes me as very reliant on his top two seamers. There's more Cook than Clarke in him at this stage, from a bowling tactics POV. Certainly a disciple of Clarke in the declaration stakes, though.

whoa that's a bit harsh

 

[Spark]

Cook's actually a good captain nowadays.

But yeah weird that Clarke is being underrated here. Whatever his weaknesses were as a captain, they weren't in the tactical sphere, where he was streets ahead of everyone else. The way he coaxed out batsmen in SL and then squeezed them completely at home—something Smith has really struggled to do—was a sight to behold.

 

[Meridio]

Re. pitches, I think we need the ball to swing more than we need it to seam. Problem is, of course, that there's so many variables that affect that, and we can't control half of them.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Yeah, that's very much the lesson of the last ashes (though obviously Australia's bowling attack isn't as intimidating now as it was then).

Hesson in denial about the reasons for the size of the first test loss (the bowling unit producing pies and catching with bricks for hands) doesn't make me hugely optimistic regarding the second test.

The results on the Ashes green-tops weren't just luck though. England bowled better and batted better in those conditions.

 

[Bahnz]

The results on the Ashes green-tops weren't just luck though. England bowled better and batted better in those conditions.

I know, hence the second part of my post.

 

[GotSpin]

So I presume Bird out for Patto unless Siddle is unfit?

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Re. pitches, I think we need the ball to swing more than we need it to seam. Problem is, of course, that there's so many variables that affect that, and we can't control half of them.

They should have played a test in Hamilton. It swings there a lot more than Wellington and Chch. They needed to play where it is humid, not windy or dry, if swing is required.

 

[Bahnz]

They should have played a test in Hamilton. It swings there a lot more than Wellington and Chch. They needed to play where it is humid, not windy or dry, if swing is required.

If you believe the experts, humidity has essentially nothing to do swing, and it's all about air temperature and stillness. So yeah, the windiness at Wellington is a factor, but the real problem was the blazing hot weather during the days of the test.

 

[NZTailender]

Nah, people are seriously underrating Clarke's on-field tactical abilities here. Which is weird, because everybody recognised them when he was doing it.

TPC's a lot less flexible IMO; struggles to work out how best to use Lyon and strikes me as very reliant on his top two seamers. There's more Cook than Clarke in him at this stage, from a bowling tactics POV. Certainly a disciple of Clarke in the declaration stakes, though.

He's been Test captain for how long? Give him some time to develop.

 

[NZTailender]

Wagner has to play imo. Actually does something when the pitch doesn't live up to the expectations of captain and coach.