Australia streak ahead with New Zealand already playing catch up | Geoff Lemon

The tourists’ lack of day-night preparation leaves them to rue a poor start in Perth – and in the series as a whole

It’s never very decorous to say I told you so. But when predictions are borne out to the letter, it would be equally smug not to mention it. Last week I questioned the talking up of the New Zealand Test team’s prospects in Australia, given a history of freezing on such tours. In Perth the two sides repeated the start of their 2015 series blow for blow, with Australia batting for most of two days before rattling through a feeble New Zealand response.

While the Kiwis found their fight later in the match, they all but conceded it at the start. Lockie Ferguson was erratic on debut, Tim Southee was unthreatening, and Australia rattled along at four runs an over. Catches began going down and only four wickets fell on the first day. Holding David Warner and Steve Smith to 43 apiece was a win, but Marnus Labuschagne got a life and made a hundred while Travis Head got away with a dicey half century.

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