Australia sent in at Basin Reserve as NZ series begins

Tim Southee has despatched Australia in to bat on the Basin Reserve, the place the Black Caps will go searching a primary house Take a look at win over Australia in 31 years with an all-pace assault.

Scott Kuggeleijn has crushed Mitchell Santner to the ultimate place within the New Zealand XI, which means the Kiwis have picked 4 specialist tempo bowlers.

Kuggeleijn joins Will O’Rourke within the facet, with each enjoying simply their second Take a look at after being elevated from NZ’s home competitors, the Plunket Defend.

O’Rourke took 9 wickets on debut earlier this month towards South Africa, whereas Kuggeleijn hasn’t performed at Take a look at degree since a sole outing towards England final 12 months.

The pair substitute the injured Kyle Jamieson and retired Neil Wagner in a new-look Kiwi assault.

The Basin Reserve pitch is decidedly inexperienced, as is often the case with the rye-grass pitch usually utilized in New Zealand, however either side anticipate it to supply one thing for batter and bowler.

“We have performed sufficient right here to know it is a fairly good floor … hopefully there’s slightly bit early on,” Southee mentioned.

Pat Cummins mentioned if he’d referred to as appropriately, he would have despatched New Zealand in to bat.

“We have been going to bowl however not too upset with that,” he mentioned.

“Looks as if there was some first innings scores which were massive so that is the goal at the moment … excited to get on the market with a little bit of color in it.”

Southee mentioned part-time spinners, together with Rachin Ravindra, gave him confidence to select Kuggeleijn over Santner.

Gray cloud which introduced rain early on Thursday morning was starting to make means for sunshine within the Kiwi capital because the captains made the toss.

Forecasts are for cloudy however high-quality situations for the primary 4 days of the Take a look at.

Only one Take a look at in eight both facet of the Tasman this summer season has gone right into a fifth day – New Zealand’s first match towards Bangladesh, which the hosts misplaced to the ICC’s ninth-ranked nation.

On Australia’s most up-to-date outing on the Basin Reserve, in 2016, the Steve Smith-led workforce put Brendon McCullum’s Black Caps to the sword, profitable by an innings and 52-runs.

Usman Khawaja, who made 140 in that match, mentioned he hoped there have been runs within the wicket.

“This wicket, it seems fairly inexperienced on the market,” he mentioned.

“Typically in New Zealand it seems worse than they play … even when you have a extremely inexperienced wicket in case you get via the brand new ball, it may be a reasonably good place to bat.

“However overcast situations, inexperienced wicket, it may be fairly powerful.

“All of us faux like we all know what is going on to occur on the market however nobody actually is aware of till we exit and play.”

New Zealand have gained only one Take a look at previously 31 towards Australia, and have not celebrated a house victory since 1993.

TEAMS

Australia: Steve Smith, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Inexperienced, Travis Head, Mitch Marsh, Alex Carey, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (capt), Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.

New Zealand: Tom Latham, Will Younger, Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell, Glenn Phillips, Scott Kuggeleijn, Matt Henry, Tim Southee (capt), Will O’Rourke.