The big-wigs decided that rules needed to be changed to ensure a greater contest between bat and ball during the first Test between Aotearoa and South Africa. As they tend to do, jokers in suits make it far more difficult than it needs to be as a funky cricket pitch can even things out. Dunedin served up a wicket that made life difficult for the batsmen, thus making the Test compelling viewing and ensuring that disappointment was the taste left as rain washed out the final day.

Change the rules and regulations all you want; let's (as a cricketing world) just produce less flat pitches. Simple.

Reflecting on Aotearoa's decision to leave Tim Southee out of the Test team has me feeling content. Trent Boult and Neil Wagner enjoyed success with 5 wickets each for the Test, considerably more than Mitchell Santner and Jeetan Patel. As expected, the Blackcaps' spinners kept things tight and as a unit the bowlers delivered collective pressure and given that South Africa's spinner Keshav Maharaj took 5w/3.29 in South Africa's only innings with the ball, there's no real need to get dramatic about whether Kane Williamson and Mike Hesson were right or wrong in leaving Southee out.

Instead, ponder that this Aotearoa cricket team was capable of switching up their bowling attack for a pitch that they though would assist spin. The next Test is at the Basin Reserve where seam will likely be the weapon of choice and it's kinda cool that instead of welcoming opposition teams to seam-friendly decks - or shitty flat decks - we can serve up spinning/slower pitches and adjust our team, as well as serving up seamers and adjusting.

Most other countries have one style of pitch and their team suits that. What went down in Dunedin and what we are likely to see in Wellington and Hamilton suggests that Aotearoa might have stumbled across a funky niche to make touring Aotearoa a nightmare; you better have weapons for all conditions.

Kane Williamson scored runs as he tends to do and shout out to Jeet Raval as he stood up after easing into Test cricket, plus BJ Watling scored his first half-century since last year's tour to Zimbabwe. The main concern though is Ross Taylor's injury which has led to Neil Broom's call up.

There other other options, younger options like Tom Bruce or Colin Munro but Broom's general similarities to Taylor make him the prime candidate. Broom doesn't have any Test experience, but he is obviously a hugely experienced cricketer and while there's no other batsman (besides Williamson) like Taylor in Aotearoa, Broom is as good a down-grade as there is. The ability to score all around the park and assessing the situation is crucial at No.4 and this will be a interesting gauge of Broom's possible future as an international cricketer against an impressive bowling unit.

The only issue is that Broom isn't exactly high on confidence at the moment. Since his 73 against Australia at Eden Park (he put up scores of 6 and 2 in the two innings' between his 97 vs Bangladesh and that Eden Park knock), Broom has hit; 8, 20, 2, 2, 0, 42, 28.

Those last two knocks of 42 and 28 did come in his return to Plunket Shield cricket, so I guess it's good that he's heading into this Test having reached double-digits in the longer format.
Munro and Bruce were both mentioned. As quickly as people highlighted Munro's excessively high First-Class average (51.85 and a redonkulous strike-rate of 97.56), it was countered by a general vibe that Munro would struggles against the moving ball, against quality bowlers.

Munro is basically an enigma and while we won't genuinely know how good a Test batsmen he is until he's given a lengthy stint in Test cricket, it just doesn't seem as though Munro will ever get that opportunity.

Given Munro's tremendous FC stats, I can't then sit here and tell y'all that Bruce deserves an opportunity. Whether it be in my Plunket Shield things or general kiwi cricket things, I've consistently highlighted that Bruce has better numbers in FC cricket than he does limited-overs cricket; the dude averages 48.86 with four centuries and 12 half-centuries in just 23 FC games.

Bruce will move into a position where he'll earn a Test debut in the next 24 months, for sure. But if Munro's not getting a chance with his healthy stats (I don't think he'll play another Test), then I can't talk up Bruce.

Broom's just the best replacement for Taylor. If it was Henry Nicholls who needed to be replaced, then it might be a different story. And assuming Nicholls plays in Wellington, he's probably the biggest winner out of all of this after scoring 12, dismissed by a beauty of a grab from Hashim Amla. Nicholls will likely fill that No.5 spot again in Wellington, he's the bloke in the batting line up that is under the most pressure and will be under the most pressure moving forward; Broom's just happy to be there and if you don't think Tom Latham's a long-term Test opener then you cray cray.

Well, Nicholls and Jimmy Neesham. This middle order just doesn't quite demand respect right now and it's up to these two to stack up the runs when required, with the loss of Taylor ensuring that this team can't rely on the two best batsmen of our lifetimes to do the job. Someone else needs to step up and the Nicholls/Neesham combo would be wise to take that responsibility upon their shoulders.

The major winner is Test cricket. We've got a mighty contest to enjoy over in India and we've got Aotearoa vs South Africa in our backyard, the intensity of the first Test was tangible and the Basin Reserve will present a different challenge. Regardless, we'll be treated to another absorbing Test.