A Real Headscratcher
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When will someone have the sense when winning the toss at the Basin Reserve to bat first?
The Basin Reserve pitch is an optical illusion and has been for year. Just because it looks a bit green does not mean that it will be jagging all over the place. That is well understood.
However, it is now 18 consecutive tests that the side winning the toss has inserted the opposition without having the guts to break this streak.
In the last 5 tests played at the Basin 4 of them have been won by the side batting first. The exception was The Greatest Test EverTM and England took a 226 runs inning lead there.
Before that, New Zealand scored 460 after being sent in before beating the Windies by an innings. A month after TGTE Sri Lanka sent the hosts in and NZ racked up 580/4.
The following year Australia was sent in and made 386; the only 200+ score of the match while last year England made 280 and a first innings lead of 155. The evidence is in broad daylight.
The theory around sending a side in is that you can put pressure on their top order for the first session.
Today there were snicks, but they were not carrying to the slip cordon. The closest to a wicket in the first hour was courtesy of some comedy yes/no running that almost led to a run out. In what is perceived to be the Tricky First Hour the West Indies cruised their way to 61/0.
The two wickets that followed were LBWs that would have sailed over the stumps if it was a tricky green top.
One day someone will break the sequence. Today would have been the obvious time for that.
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Statchat
The five changes appears to be the equal most to a New Zealand team mid-series. For various reasons, mostly injury related out went Young, Bracewell, Blundell, Smith and Henry.
In their place, Mitchell and Phillips returned from injury recovery protocols, Tickner got promoted and there were debuts for Hay and Rae.
The other case of five changes? It’s still too soon, but that was in Sydney 2019 when Raval, Phillips (on debut) Henry, Tood Astle and Somerville came in for one of the strangest test teams ever to play for New Zealand.