Pat Cummins hit the winning boundary to take Australia home in a tricky run-chase against New Zealand in Christchurch today, leaving Alex Carey stranded on 98.
Chasing 279, Australia were in a spot of bother by the time they finished day three. New Zealand had taken four wickets, leaving them reeling at 34-4. They removed Travis Head early on the fourth day to peg them back to 80-5 before a defiant sixth-wicket stand between Mitchell Marsh and Alex Carey brought them right back in it.
At 220-7, Pat Cummins joined Carey and the pair added unbeaten 61 runs for the eighth wicket to take the visitors home. The Australian captain hit the winning shot, a punch through point for four off debutant Ben Sears as he finished unbeaten on 32.
But the winning boundary meant that Carey, who was on 98, did not get the opportunity to get to a much-deserved century, though he finished with the second-highest score by a wicketkeeper in a successful chase in Test cricket. Had he got the hundred, Carey would have become only the second wicketkeeper, after Adam Gilchrist (149 not out), to score a hundred in a successful run-chase in Tests.
After the match, Cummins revealed that he no idea that Carey was on 98, showing just how focused he was on the job at hand. “I had no idea he was on 98! That would have been embarrassing if he was celebrating [his hundred] and I wasn’t looking,” Cummins said.
Carey didn’t mind not getting to a hundred either as long as Australia were winning: “I was happy with that. I didn’t want to get on strike again,” he said at the post-match press conference.
Carey and Cummins were both hailed for their professionalism and not chasing personal milestones. Comparisons were also made with India’s victory over Sri Lanka in the Kandy Test in 2001 when Mohammad Kaif hit the winning boundary in a run-chase of 264 leaving skipper Sourav Ganguly stranded on 98 at the non-striker’s end.
Pat Cummins the modern-day Michael Bevan #NZvAus pic.twitter.com/wHdSZrTJax
— Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) March 11, 2024
Pat Cummins 👏👏legendary stuff and well done to Alex Carey 👌👌.
After the kind of summer Carey has had, all the backing from the team management has paid dividends.#AUSvNZ
— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) March 11, 2024
That Pat Cummins hit the winning runs denying Carey a century just underlines how dangerously professional and clutch the Aussies are. pic.twitter.com/a4TWU7ZxIm
— Rafi (@rafi4999) March 11, 2024
Brilliant by Alex Carey. Nothing speaks “team man” more than being 98 not out in a successful run chase, and letting the skipper hit the winning runs. #NZvAUS
— Andrew Wu (@wutube) March 11, 2024
Kandy 2001 – When Kaif hit a 4 & left Sourav Ganguly stranded on 98*
I rate this as one of India’s best Test wins under Ganguly. India didn’t have Sachin, VVS & Kumble available for this Test. Beating a full strength SL in SL was absolutely not easy back then. pic.twitter.com/EdmhPRpAUM
— Mainak Sinha🏏📽️ (@cric_archivist) March 11, 2024
With this victory, Australia registered their eighth victory from 12 Tests in the current cycle of the World Test Championship, and have moved up to the second spot, leapfrogging New Zealand.
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