• New Zealand need 258 more runs to beat Australia in the first Test.

  • Glenn Phillips' five-wicket haul restricted Australia to 164 in their second innings.

Twitter reactions: Australia’s 2nd innings collapse opens the door for New Zealand to mount a comeback on Day 3 of the Wellington Test
Glenn Phillips and Rachin Ravindra (Image Source: Twitter)

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In a roller-coaster Day 3 at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, Glenn Phillips emerged as the star for New Zealand with a five-wicket haul, limiting Australia to 164 in their second innings. However, the hosts faced their own challenges as they slumped to 111/3 in pursuit of a daunting target of 369 at stumps.

Glenn Phillips’ spin mastery and Australia’s middle-order woes

The third day began with Australia resuming their innings at 13 for 2, with nightwatchman Nathan Lyon partnering Usman Khawaja. Lyon showcased resilience, contributing a valuable 41 off 46 balls, emerging as the highest scorer in Australia’s second innings.

Nevertheless, the off-spin brilliance of  Phillips came to the forefront, with a full, tempting delivery that lured Khawaja out of the crease, resulting in a crucial stumping. Despite Australia’s quick rebuilding through Cameron Green and Travis Head, Phillips broke their alliance. Head’s attempt to dominate Phillips ended in a catch at long off, expertly taken by Scott Kuggeleijn. The subsequent delivery saw Mitchell Marsh departing for a golden duck, caught at short leg.

Timely strikes and completion of Phillips’ maiden fifer

Tim Southee‘s aggressive field placement paid off, as Alex Carey fell victim to Phillips’s tossed-up delivery, driving it straight to the New Zealand captain. The completion of Phillips’s fifer came through Will Young‘s outstanding reflexes at short leg, dismissing the first-innings centurion, Green, for 34. Australia concluded their second innings at 164, setting a challenging target for New Zealand based on their first-innings advantage.

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New Zealand’s top-order turmoil and Nathan Lyon’s impact

With a target of 369, Blackcaps faced early setbacks as Lyon, introduced in the fifth over, struck swiftly, removing opener Tom Latham. After Tea, Lyon added to New Zealand’s woes with the prized wicket of former captain Kane Williamson, caught at leg slip. Australia’s fielding brilliance continued to shine, with a spectacular one-handed catch by Steve Smith at first slip leading to the dismissal of Young, who had been steadily building into his innings.

Rachin Ravindra’s resilience and Daryl Mitchell’s stability

After the departure of Young, the hosts found themselves at 59/3. Nonetheless, Rachin Ravindra, who had a forgettable first innings, displayed resilience by scoring a half-century. Partnering with Daryl Mitchell, they stabilized the innings with an unbeaten 52-run partnership for the fourth wicket. As stumps were drawn, New Zealand still requires 258 runs to win on Day 4, setting the stage for a thrilling conclusion to the series opener.

Here’s how Twitter reacted:

https://twitter.com/danbrettig/status/176379353203123029

Also READ: New Zealand’s Neil Wagner reveals his top 5 favourite moments in Test cricket

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About the Author:
AMAR PAL SINGH BHALLA
Amar is a sports enthusiast and a talented writer who has found the perfect career that combines his two passions. As a valuable member of Cricket Times, Amar brings his passion for cricket and his talent for writing to the fore, providing readers with insightful and engaging content. Cricket lives rent-free in his mind. A person who views cricket as a metaphor for life. You can connect with Amar at amar.bhalla@crickettimes.com and also follow him on LinkedIn.