It was only momentarily that New Zealand found its voice

The throng at Hagley Oval had once again found its voice. They had been revived by Ben Sears. The Test match has also been revitalized by the debutant. A straggling test. A Test that appeared to be coasting toward an Australian victory that was certain. A Test that appeared to be firmly in New Zealand’s grip, but for some reason it had escaped their hands.

And then the young fast with the great leap, Ben sears, had removed both. It was the form-fit Mitchell Marsh and the well-established Mitchell Starc in the span of two deliveries. On the field, the Kiwis had newfound faith in Ben Sears. The Kiwis on it also did. From the commentary boxes to the Sir Richard Hadlee pavilion, the former cricket players dispersed  themselves throughout Hagley Oval, holding on for dear life. Tim Southee did the same on the field. This was Ben Sears final opportunity to defeat his fierce opponents from the other side of the Atlantic. One final opportunity to break the embarrassing record of never defeating Australia at home in 31 years. One last chance to turn around what has been a rather lackluster debut for him as captain.

Even the DJ at Hagley Oval had made the decision not to stifle the excitement with his music, preferring to let the energy come through from the genuine crowd noise. To their credit, the thousands of ardent Black Caps supporters gathered surrounding the Oval were producing the loudest noise of the Test match. They were singing, and for many it was the loudest they’d ever heard at a Test venue in New Zealand. They were making chants. “This is not how it is in New Zealand, but it shows you how much it means to them to see their team have an Australian team under pressure,” yelled the former all-star cricket player who is now a popular radio pundit. “They were buzzing.”

Even the Australian tour groups, dispersed over the floor and particularly near the dressing rooms, had managed to suppress their cheers and clapping. For nearly two hours, the supporters of Australia in the stands had mirrored their country’s dominance on the field through Marsh and Alex Carey. Each run had a lot of applause for, and a lot of cheering at each boundary.

There had been plenty of both in the forty minutes leading up to the lunch break. As Southee began to lose command of his bowling strategy. Scott Kuggeleijn’s three-over explosion with the short ball proved to be a costly blow. With no difficulty, the Australian duo used it to reduce the needed runs from 149 to 105. The fourth seamer’s radar was wayward, resulting in byes and leg-byes with the ball going to the boundary. Marsh and Carey could accelerate the run rate without taking any chances. It was far too simple. It was not only sliding away, the game was speeding down a steep slope and away from the home team.

Next, Sears took the ball and dismissed Marsh with a full delivery that was too strong for the big all-rounder’s closed-face bat. A little while after, Starc was caught at square-leg by a slightly shorter delivery. In two out of two. With just three wickets remaining and 59 more to go, it left  Carey  stranded at the other end.

A month and a half prior, Pat Cummins had gone out to bat against the West Indies at the Gabba. He needed forty-five runs to win. It was an inspired Shamar Joseph who had torn through Australia on that historic evening, unwilling to give up the ball.
Sears had to do the same for New Zealand. to be the moment’s owner. to take it. to write a chapter in history. Regretfully, the child had already exhausted his options. In contrast to Shamar, who in Brisbane seemed to get faster with every over. Sears started to lose steam—not that you could blame him.

The pitch did not impress him at Hagley either. Nor did the ball, which was now mushy and utterly devoid of any seam. Moreover, Matt Henry, who had spearheaded the campaign for New Zealand during this series, had at last lost his edge. By the time the series’ eventual player was brought back for his last shot at glory, only 16 were needed. Carey and Cummins had quieted the crowd by then. They had resisted and defeated the Black Caps’ challenge. They had assumed control. It was inevitable again. Australia was once again the team to win the Test.

The calm and determined wicketkeeper was having the innings of his life at a time when the conversation back in Australia was all about Carey’s poor form at bat and the sword that they thought hung over his head. One of the most significant hits ever delivered by an Australian wicketkeeper. Conversely, Cummins was maintaining his composure and nerve in these situations, adhering to his recent pattern. In addition, he was hitting boundaries and runs in equal measure to relieve Carey of some of the burden, just like Carey had done when batting with Marsh during their 140-run partnership.

Additionally, without Marsh reverting to his lethal form after a fewThe Kiwis had to assault and defend from both flanks, which made it much harder to understand how they were attempting to complete each duty. By the time they realized that, the Australians had moved closer to their objective, now just requiring seven runs. By the time Cummins slammed the ball through the space in the point area, the New Zealand perspective on the audience had diminished, the New Zealand perspective on crowd noise had subsided, and the New Zealand perspective on hopes had long since vanished.

All that was left was to accept yet another Test loss to Australia and carry on with the unproductive streak against them. On a day when New Zealand found their voice and, for a small while, had aspirations of turning the tide.