New Zealand Face Herculean Task After Phillips’ Five-Wicket Haul
New Zealand staged a spirited fightback on day three of the second Test against Australia, dismissing the tourists for 217 and setting themselves a mammoth 418-run chase.
A stunning five-wicket haul by Glenn Phillips, including the crucial scalp of Cameron Green (34), put the brakes on Australia’s progress. Phillips removed Usman Khawaja (28) early, with a sharp stumping by Tom Blundell. He then rattled the middle order, dismissing Travis Head (29), Mitch Marsh (0), and Alex Carey (3) in quick succession.
Earlier, Matt Henry (3-42) polished off the tail, removing Nathan Lyon (41), Pat Cummins (8), and Mitchell Starc (12). Will Young, at short leg, pouched two catches, including the vital dismissal of Green.
New Zealand’s bowling effort was marred by a couple of dropped catches, with substitute fielder Henry Nicholls spilling a chance at deep mid-wicket. However, they managed to restrict Australia to a below-par total.
The Black Caps face a daunting task ahead. Chasing 418 at the Basin Reserve will be a herculean effort. If they pull it off, it would be the highest successful chase at the venue and the tenth-highest in Test history.
A hamstring injury to Will O’Rourke during Australia’s innings adds another layer of concern for New Zealand. His availability for the second Test in Christchurch remains doubtful, leaving the bowling attack potentially undermanned.
Big Chase a Big Challenge for New Zealand
Despite a valiant bowling performance from Glenn Phillips, New Zealand still face a monumental task in the third Test against Australia.
Australia piled on the pressure, opting to bat again after dismissing the visitors for 231 in their second innings, leaving New Zealand with a mammoth 369 runs to chase for victory.
Phillips emerged as the unlikely hero for the Black Caps, taking his second career five-wicket haul to restrict Australia to 162 in their third innings. The last time a New Zealand spinner achieved this feat on home soil was Jitan Patel in 2008.
However, New Zealand’s fightback appears fragile. Chasing an improbable target, they are already three wickets down for 84 runs, with the crucial wicket of skipper Kane Williamson falling cheaply for just nine runs.
The Black Caps’ hopes now rest heavily on the remaining batsmen to produce a miracle and salvage the match.
