A herculean effort from Alex Carey alongside Mitchell Marsh's 80 and Pat Cummins' late heroics was enough for Australia to edge New Zealand in the second Test in Christchurch.
New Zealand v Australia scorecard
•Carey scored 98*, with Pat Cummins hitting the winning runs off Ben Sears.
•The Australians, with a partnership of 61, secured a three-wicket win, giving them 12 points on their way to defending the World Test Championship mace and completing a 2-0 series clean sweep against their trans-Tasman rivals.
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Australia's Cricket Performance
• Australia were in a precarious position at 34/4 and 80/5 in the chase of 279, with a partnership of 140 between Carey and Marsh.
• Sears claimed Marsh after Marais Erasmus adjugated the Australian No.6 lbw.
• Cummins survived the hat-trick ball, hitting four boundaries in his 44-ball stay.
• Carey was named Player of the Match, claiming 10 catches on top of his match-winning knock.
• Australia's plan of attack was to chase down runs down, despite the early threats.
Australia's Test Victory: A Reflection on Batting and Batting
• Carey's batting partner and captain, Tim Southee, praised the bowling side's performance after the victory
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• He emphasized the importance of keeping the run rate ticking over and focusing on the first innings lead.
• The captain praised the team's resilience and determination in key moments, highlighting the team's ability to win.
• Southee praised Australia's batters for their partnership between Marsh and Carey, which broke the back of the Australian attack.
• Southee reflected on the match as a great Test match, with both results in play and a consistent flow throughout the match.
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