New Zealand vs Australia, 1st Test | Day 1

 Tim Southee's choice to bowl first turned out to be a brilliant one as the New Zealand bowling attack, spearheaded by Southee and Trent Boult, took full advantage of the green pitch. They caused seam movement and swing, which made things tough for the Australian batters. Together with some excellent defensive catches from Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell, the Blackcaps' disciplined bowling effort put the visitors on the back foot early on, limiting their pace of production and regularly taking key wickets. With their impressive performance, New Zealand has taken full control of the first Test, and Australia will face an uphill task on Day 2 to rebuild their innings.

Australia, who had just won the Twenty20 International series, had a new task in store in the red-ball format. After being moved up to open for the second time in a row, Steve Smith struggled for 31 runs until Matt Henry's ball reached the boundary and Tom Blundell made an incredible diving catch. Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne weathered the early storm together, but throughout the day, wickets fell at regular intervals.

Even though Australia reached 206/6 in the third session, New Zealand's disciplined bowling attack had the better of the day. The Blackcaps dominated from start to finish, while Mitchell Starc and Cameron Green provided some late fight with undefeated efforts of 8* and 53* runs, respectively. Southee, Henry, and Wagner all made early breakthroughs that placed pressure on the visitors, and wickets dropped often. Despite a pivotal 63-run partnership between Khawaja and Green, New Zealand maintained control and will be seeking to exploit more opportunities on Day 2.

Early Breakthroughs Set the Tone

New Zealand's pace trio, comprising Tim Southee, Matt Henry, and Kyle Jamieson, reveled in the bowler-friendly conditions at the Basin Reserve. They exploited the green surface, generating swing and seam movement that troubled the Australian batsmen. This potent bowling display began with the crucial dismissal of Steve Smith, who was well caught by Tom Blundell after a fighting 31. The Blackcaps continued their dominance with quick dismissals of Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh by Southee and Neil Wagner respectively. These early breakthroughs effectively put the brakes on Australia's scoring and left them vulnerable heading into the rest of the day.

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Khawaja, Green Show Resilience

Usman Khawaja, the epitome of resilience, stood firm amidst the Australian batting collapse. He adopted a cautious approach, anchoring the innings with a crucial 50-run partnership alongside Marnus Labuschagne (23 runs). However, Labuschagne's dismissal of Tim Southee halted their momentum. Unfazed, Khawaja found an able ally in the young prodigy Cameron Green. Their 63-run partnership, the highest of the day for Australia, provided much-needed stability and instilled a flicker of hope for the visitors. But with Khawaja's eventual dismissal, the fightback was halted, leaving the onus on the remaining batsmen to salvage the day.

New Zealand Maintains Pressure

New Zealand persisted in their attack, unwilling to give up the momentum. Matt Henry removed Usman Khawaja (33 runs), a well-established batsman who had looked certain to salvage the Australian innings. The quick resistance (10 runs) of wicketkeeper Alex Carey was broken when Matt Henry took his wicket. Even with young gun Cameron Green bowling undefeated, the New Zealand bowling attack was unrelenting, taking wickets frequently to ensure they had the upper hand going into the second and final day. 

Looking Ahead to Day 2

Day 2 will be another exciting fight. In order to provide Australia with a competitive advantage, Green and Starc plan to establish a major collaboration. Conversely, New Zealand will be eager to take early wickets and possibly limit Australia to a score that is below average. The pitch should soften as the game goes on, but the Blackcaps' bowling attack has previously shown that it is capable of causing issues on a seaming surface.

Top stories

• Choosing to bowl first worked well for New Zealand, as their speed attack took advantage of the circumstances.

• Australian resistance came from Usman Khawaja's fighting 33 runs and Cameron Green's undefeated fifty-plus knock.

• The bowlers from New Zealand maintained their dominance throughout the day by taking wickets on a consistent basis.

With New Zealand leading, the first Test is still very much in the balance. The outcome of the match and the atmosphere for the remainder of the series will be decided on Day 2.

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