He received a standing ovation, pro-Black Caps chants were echoing around the ground, and the extended wait to play in the Boxing Day test had been worth every minute. They were the best conditions bowlers will likely receive over the first few days, and the Black Caps were desperately unlucky not to make further inroads. The Australian talisman, who has tallied the second-most test runs in 2019, linked up with the most prolific five-day batsman - Marnus Labuschagne – as the pair frustrated the Black Caps. It was another glorious opportunity for the Black Caps to claim the ascendancy, but they couldn't quite grasp it. Head hung around to be with him on 25, and for all of the Black Caps' spirit and toil on an iconic day for New Zealand cricket, it was, once again, Australia's day.

Source: Otago Daily Times December 26, 2019 07:18 UTC