Australia’s Alex Carey and Pat Cummins celebrate after defeating New Zealand by three wickets on day four of the second cricket test between New Zealand and Australia in Christchurch, New Zealand, Monday, March 11, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

An unbeaten 98 from Alex Carey dragged Australia to victory over New Zealand by three wickets in a thrilling second Test on March 11 to give the tourists a 2-0 sweep of the two-match series.

Carey and Mitchell Marsh have struggled for form but their formidable 140-run partnership rescued Australia at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch.

New Zealand’s wait for a first home Test victory over their neighbours in more than three decades goes on.

“Something we spoke about today was keeping that scoreboard running, 200, 190, 180 (to get),” said Australia captain Pat Cummins, hailing Carey for his superb innings.

“As a fielding side you do notice that, you do start feeling the pressure build up.

“It’s our strongest suit – we’re all really positive batters.”

Carey and Marsh produced a vital partnership when the tourists had their backs to the wall at 80-5 in their chase of 279.

New Zealand captain Tim Southee said that partnership was the “big moment” in the Test.

The hosts losing the upper hand was the story of the series.

“We’ve been able to make early in-roads in every innings, which is pleasing, but I guess on the back of that you want to be able to nail it down,” Southee said.

“But that’s what you get when you play the top side in the world. They bat deep.”

At 220-5, a nail-biting Test took another turn on Monday afternoon when Black Caps seamer Ben Sears claimed Marsh and Mitchell Starc in successive deliveries.

It left Australia needing a further 59 runs with three wickets remaining.

Skipper Cummins joined Carey to bring the tourists home.

“I kept to a really solid game plan and read the conditions and read the bowlers,” Carey said.

“I guess losing one wicket this morning was okay. We got through to lunch and then that’s when the game opened up a little bit and the partnership started to flow.”

The series sweep earned Australia valuable points in the World Test Championship standings.

New Zealand were left deflated after starting the fourth day with high hopes of a first home Test victory over their rivals in 31 years.

On the attack

When Australia resumed the day at 77-4, after a one-hour delay because of rain, Marsh was dropped on 28 by Rachin Ravindra in the second over. Travis Head was out on the next ball from Southee.

New Zealand were buoyant, aware that Marsh and Carey were struggling for form, with Marsh coming off back-to-back ducks.

Carey had compiled just 27 from his three previous innings in the series.

The Australian pair found their touch when it mattered most.

Rather than be cautious, they went on the attack at more than five an over in the morning session as batting conditions became easier with the ageing ball.

The breakthrough New Zealand desperately sought came after lunch when debutant Sears took his double.

Marsh, who made 80 off 102 deliveries, went lbw and Starc followed first ball, caught at square leg by Will Young.

The hat-trick ball however was wide of the mark and the new batsman Cummins edged it for four.

Carey had an anxious moment when given out lbw to Matt Henry on 19 but on review the ball tracker placed the ball outside leg stump.

He gave few other chances in a 123-ball innings which included 15 boundaries.

For New Zealand, Sears took 4-90 while Henry’s 2-94 gave him nine wickets for the Test.

Australian batter Travis Head after scoring a century during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 match against New Zealand.
| Photo Credit: MOORTHY RV

Australia had shown a lot of faith in Travis Head by naming him in the World Cup squad despite his broken hand that he sustained a little over six weeks ago against South Africa.

After repaying that faith with a blistering hundred against New Zealand on Saturday, the opener said it felt nice to be part of the squad despite being at home in Australia.

“Definitely at home it was nice to be kept in the squad. I understood a lot of things had to go right, personally and with the team. So, I didn’t really feel the pressure today. I just wanted to come out and play and contribute,” he said.

Other than reducing itself to a 14-member squad as Head could link up with the team only later in the tournament, Australia was also ready to sacrifice an all-round option and move Steve Smith to the No. 4 spot to accommodate the left-hander’s return to the eleven.

It was Head’s eagerness to grab the opener’s spot, which he said he had been eyeing for two years, that ensured all the risks the management took paid off.

“Obviously, with [Aaron] Finch playing for such a long period and their [with David Warner] partnership being so good and the limited chance I had, I was able to take and sort of waited a couple of years for that spot to open up,” he said.

Head returned to the ODI side in March 2022 after almost four years and struck a 107-ball 101 against Pakistan in his first game. Only after Finch retired in September last year, did Head and David Warner come together to form a lethal opening pair.

On Saturday, the duo added 175 in 19 overs for the first wicket and Head said that going hard in the first PowerPlay was a strategy that helped. We understand that it’s not going to be like that every day, but if we can be as positive as that, I think it gets us both in better positions.”