Australia is well placed after the opening day of the historic day-night Test in Adelaide, moving to 2-54 at stumps in response to New Zealand’s first innings of 202. Mitchell Starc grabbed three wickets, including the all-important scalp of Kane Williamson, but limped off in the second session on day one due to an ankle complaint.New Zealand struck an early blow in Australia’s run chase, with danger man David Warner (1) snared by Trent Boult in the third over. Steve Smith finished 24 not out at stumps, while Adam Voges was unbeaten on four. Joe Burns was the other wicket to fall, the opener bowled by Doug Bracewell for 14.
Earlier, patient bowling from the hosts led to a staggering New Zealand collapse of 3-4 in relatively ideal batting conditions at Adelaide Oval. Recalled paceman Peter Siddle, offspinner Nathan Lyon and new spearhead Starc all struck amid the chaos.Ross Taylor, who scored a masterful 290 in Perth, was out driving for 21. Skipper Brendon McCullum, who won the toss for the first time in the three-Test series, followed it up with a sloppy cut shot on four.Wicketkeeper Peter Nevill snaffled both edges, having started the rot by removing Tom Latham with a superb catch that somehow stuck in the webbing of his gloves. Debutant Mitchell Santner and BJ Watling steadied in a 44-run stand, only for it to end when Starc was thrown the ball. Starc bowled nine overs and was bothered by his ongoing ankle woes for much of it. The left-armer’s final over included the dismissal of Santner, the ball ricocheting off his pads and onto the stumps. Starc had a few choice words for the 23-year-old after the bails were disturbed. Siddle replaced Mitchell Johnson in the XI but it was Starc who took on the veteran’s role as enforcer. The 25-year-old never bowled a longer spell than three overs, Smith trying to keep him fresh and fearsome as Michael Clarke did with Johnson. The express paceman would be a handful under lights and he swung the Kookaburra after being switched to the City End. A sandshoe crusher that removed Williamson was proof of how well Starc was bowling but he often looked in pain and eventually trudged off after 48 overs. Josh Hazlewood’s combination of bounce and seam movement made him a threat on the grassy pitch.The beanpole removed Martin Guptill for one in the fourth over of the day, trapping him lbw. Lyon clean bowled NZ counterpart Mark Craig with an excellent delivery that turned sharply and clipped off stump. The tweaker sent down 15 overs, more than any other bowler, while Smith put himself on for two overs of part-time legspin. They were clear examples of how the pink ball had changed the skipper’s approach. The size of the crowd, which will grow as those with final-session tickets arrive, was more telling of the sense of occasion. Some 44,405 fans watched the opening two sessions – more than the total number who trickled into the WACA across all five days of the second Test.