Burns, Smith tons put Australia in charge

Boult had removed David Warner, the only other Australian wicket to fall, with a similar delivery the previous evening.

Adam Voges was on two with nightwatchman Nathan Lyon on four as the visitors ended the day 363 for four, having all but mowed down New Zealand’s first innings 370.

“It’s not nice is it. It’s bit of a shaky feeling”, Wagner said when questioned about how he felt when Smith went down.

Smith lost the flight of the delivery, bowled by Neil Wagner, and was hit by the ball shortly before the tea break.

It was exactly the same ploy adopted by Burns and Smith, who revived Australia’s hopes of regaining the No. 1 Test ranking with a determined 289-run stand on day two.

The only success had come in the fourth over of the day, when in-form lefthander Usman Khawaja was caught by McCullum at first slip off Trent Boult.

So Smith and Burns accepted the assignment to hang tough, to eschew the temptation to chase the game in the manner that McCullum and his brotherhood of battering rams had managed and bat in the manner that Test cricket has so often demanded over the preceding 139 years.

But they left Australia well placed to avoid defeat, an outcome that will take the team to top spot on the International Cricket Council’s rankings.

Both West Australians were out pulling the ball, as was the case with centurions Steve Smith and Joe Burns on day two.

Neil Wagner dismissed both batsmen in identical fashion in the final half-hour to give his side some late reward for a day of toil under a cloudless Christchurch sky.

In sharp contrast, NZ opted for a four-prong pace attack and dropped offspinner Mark Craig. Eventually, it was Kane Williamson who managed to induce an edge, with his part-time off break, off Lyon’s bat which was taken brilliantly by McCullum, who dived forward, at slips. He took a couple of minutes getting attention before resuming and seeing out the over.

Voges was out for 60, a comedown after centuries in his last three innings, and his dismissal brought his average down from three figures to 94.78, making him second all time behind the legendary Don Bradman.

New Zealand were in trouble on eight for one when Guptill failed to move his feet and nibbled a catch through to Peter Nevill from James Pattinson.

New Zealand have a fight on their hands to save the second test against Australia and not see captain Brendon McCullum off on a losing note.

Especially if they continue to heed his words as readily as they did today.