Hosting a weakened England outfit appears to be slightly different compared to facing a prickly Australian team in Perth, doesn't it? I wasn't quite expecting the differences between the two challenges to smack me in the face so early in this series, however via some elements that can't be controlled like injuries and then dealing with the Aussies; there are levels and nuance involved in Test cricket.

The Blackcaps were forced into a slight move away from their strongest bowling unit as Trent Boult was ruled out prior to the first Test. Lockie Ferguson was the benefactor of Boult's injury, lining up for his Test debut and in a brief splutter of 11 overs, Ferguson showed the movement and pace that has made him a nightmare to face in the Plunket Shield. For those who are still unaware of Ferguson's package, he moves the ball into right-handers (away from lefties) and creates all sorts of weird angles through that movement combined with the lengths he bowls.

Don't expect the conventional movement we see from Tim Southee or Boult - whenever Ferguson gets his next opportunity. Losing a bowler in such conditions as offered in Perth is always going to make everything even more niggly and yet the bowlers did a fairly good job in restricting the Aussies. Everything we have come to love about the Blackcaps was on display in their bowling performance as their efforts, perseverance and skill got them through the afternoon sessions without letting the Aussies pop the top off either innings. Then enjoy some rewards in the evening.

9 wickets for Southee (4w, 5) and 7 wickets for Wagner (4, 3) led the way for Aotearoa and Southee's Test average now dips below 30 on 29.61. In 2019, Southee is averaging 27.03 and while everyone has already discussed Wagner's excellence, 2019 has somehow seen him reach a nek level in averaging 17.58. That's the first time Wagner's annual average has gone below 21.

Whether moving the ball, targeting a specific aspect of the batsman's game or the ol' short stuff, this Blackcaps unit rolled out their fairly standard menu of attack. It's low key exciting to know that sure, day/night bowling leans into the strength of the Blackcaps, but with more options and a splash of Boult experience, there could still be room for development ahead of the next Test for the bowlers.

Unfortunately, the Blackcaps were dismissed for less than 200 twice.

Sip some context though because batting was definitely tricky, especially after the first innings as the pitch became more and more of a factor. Australia's big first innings came in perhaps the best batting conditions and both teams enjoyed obvious success with the ball under lights. Batting was never easy for the Blackcaps, especially not when Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon are doing what they do best.

Which is a hefty reminder to ease up on judgements based on what the Blackcaps do in Aotearoa. Again, this was a day/night Test and that offers caution against going to hard on the Blackcaps batsmen, however in dealing with swing, seam, spin and funky variations off the pitch, the Blackcaps batsmen struggled. That combination isn't really present in Aotearoa and instead of one of those challenges being most present, this was an interesting case of all those challenges testing the kiwis.

Ross Taylor was the only batsman to pass 50 for Aotearoa, with his 80 in the first innings in what was a strange Test for the batsmen. Five batsmen in the first innings and six in the second faced 20+ balls, while the second innings also saw five batsmen face 40+ deliveries as they tried to be competitive with the game on the line. That's a decent amount of batsmen who got starts but struggled to make the most of those starts due to the change in conditions through the day and the options available in Australia's attack.

Not ideal from a batting unit that we have all celebrated as being one of the best ever. I was more concerned with the vibe when the Blackcaps were batting and if anyone was wondering about how kiwis are viewed by Australians, it felt very evident when the kiwis were batting. The challenge was big enough in terms of skill execution, but it felt like the Aussies were always in control with their chirping, body language and the threat they consistently posed - mentally and physically.

I guess it kinda just felt like the Aussies putting kiwis in their place. Those cute little kiwis tried hard and had a few tricks of their own, however Australia were typically ruthless in their work. That's perhaps the most concerning aspect of this loss as we've all been here before in following the Blackcaps, then coming into a series vs Australia. Sometimes the Blackcaps perk up and match the intensity/ruthless of Australia, most of the time they don't.

What this current Blackcaps group does well is move from Test to Test, assessing their performances and adapting to what is next. Simply injecting Trent Boult into the team will be a massive boost, even though the bowling performances weren't too shabby compared to being rolled for less than 200 twice.

Hit an ad to support the Niche Cache, or jump on Patreon and join the whanau. Chur.

Peace and love 27.