Australia captain Michael Clarke has disputed claims he made a tactical blunder in his use of bowlers.
Australia was fighting its way back into the match, defending 151, and Mitchell Starc had taken three wickets in five balls when Clarke removed him from the attack and brought in Mitchell Johnson. New Zealand was on the back foot at the time of the change but Corey Anderson hit Johnson’s first three balls for two fours and a six to alleviate the pressure.
Starc returned and took another three wickets in his second spell, but New Zealand won the match by a wicket, prompting questions as to whether Australia would have won had Starc bowled through.
Tough job “It’s pretty tough to bowl a 10-over spell,” Clarke said. “So it was more to give Mitch (Starc) two overs off. He was bowling beautifully, and I knew we could find another way to get a breakthrough. I thought Mitch would have a huge opportunity to try to go through the tail as he just about did.”
Clarke, who holed out off Boult in his first international game since December last year following a hamstring injury, added: “I’d like some more runs. I’m no different from the other top six batters. We were disappointing today, and my shot selection was poor.”
Quality seam bowling Meanwhile, New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum hailed the perfect finish.
“It was one hell of a game,” said McCullum. “Both teams showed what quality bowlers they have. It was an amazing atmosphere and a great game to be a part of.
Trent Boult was outstanding for us, and so was Mitchell Starc for Australia.“Some of the batting wasn’t as good as it should have been but that can happen when you are up against high-class seam bowling.”
Boult said the elation he felt while bowling was almost trumped by the nerves he suffered while batting. “Those two deliveries were pretty frightening at the end,” Boult admitted.
