Australia's Josh Hazlewood (C) celebrates after he dismissed New Zealand's Ross Taylor (R) LBW for 32 runs during the second day of the third cricket test match at the Adelaide Oval, in South Australia. Reuters Photo.
Paceman Josh Hazlewood tore through New Zealand's batsmen to give Australia a sniff of victory within three days after a farcical third umpire decision stole the tourists' momentum during the third Test on Saturday.
Hazlewood shone under the floodlights of Adelaide Oval with three wickets and New Zealand slumped to 116 for five at the close of a roller-coaster day two, hounded by the hooping pink ball of the inaugural day-night Test.
The Black Caps clung precariously to a 94-run lead after 13 wickets tumbled through the course of the day, adding to the 12 that fell on a frenetic day one.
Debutant all-rounder Mitchell Santner (13) and BJ Watling (7) were left to salvage something from the wreckage but New Zealand's hopes of a series-levelling victory looked fraught as darkness descended. Earlier in brilliant sunshine, the tourists had dominated in the field and Australia were on the ropes at 118 for eight, in reply to 202. But third umpire Nigel Llong intervened, thumbing his nose at the decision review technology that strongly suggested spinner Nathan Lyon was out caught in the slips.
A ball from debutant spinner Santner had ricocheted off Lyon's upper arm during an attempted sweep shot and the 'Hot spot' technology showed a mark on his bat.
Though Lyon started walking back to the dressing room, 'Snicko' showed no audio evidence of a nick and Llong's final call after nearly five minutes of deliberation triggered ironic cheers from the crowd of 42,372.
It also cost New Zealand their last review and triggered an astonishing momentum shift as Lyon and wicketkeeper Peter Nevill plundered the bowlers. Lyon smashed Santner for 15 runs and a leg bye in one over before falling for 34.
Decision condemned
Meanwhile, pundits' condemnations on Llong’s decision were amplified on social media, with former Australia bowler Shane Warne remarking it was wrong and a "ridiculous waste of time".
New Zealand batsman Taylor, mindful of risking his match fee by being too forthright, was nonetheless clear his team felt there was a miscarriage of justice.
"That was one of the discussions that the boys did talk about in the changing room," he told reporters.
"We can understand when the umpires make the wrong decision on the field but once you've got so many different angles and what-not, you think that more often than not, 99 to 100 percent of the time you're going to get the right answer. "I guess we didn't today."
scoreboard
NEW ZEALAND (I innings: 202) AUSTRALIA (I innings, O/n: 54/2) Burns b Bracewell 14 Warner c Southee b Boult 1 Smith c Watling b Craig 53 Voges c Guptill b Southee 13 Marsh (run out) 2 Marsh c Watling b Bracewell 4 Nevill c Santner b Bracewell 66 Siddle c Latham b Craig 0 Hazlewood b Santner 4 Lyon c Williamson b Boult 34 Starc (not out) 24 Extras (B-5, LB-3, W-1) 9 Total (all out, 72.1 overs) 224 Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-34, 3-63, 4-67, 5-80, 6-109, 7-109, 8-116, 9-190. Bowling: Southee 17-1-50-1, Boult 17-5-41-2, Bracewell 12.1-3-18-3, Santner 16-1-54-1, Craig 10-1-53-2 NEW ZEALAND (II innings) Latham c Nevill b Hazlewood 10 Guptill c Marsh b Hazlewood 17 Williamson c Nevill b Marsh 9 Taylor lbw b Hazlewood 32 McCullum lbw Marsh 20 Santner (batting) 13 Watling (batting) 7 Extras (B-6, LB-2) 8 Total (for 5 wkts, 37 overs) 116 Fall of wickets: 1-29, 2-32, 3-52, 4-84, 5-98 Bowling: Hazlewood 16-5-32-3, Siddle 10-4-22-0, Marsh 8-0-44-2, Lyon 3-0-10-0.