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'Make this guy PM': Aussie's masterclass decimates Kiwis

andrew reid

Aussie quick Pat Cummins has left cricket fans in a spin with an extraordinary spell of bowling to destroy New Zealand in their first innings of the second Test.

The World No.1 ranked fast bowler lived up to his lofty status with a stunning five-wicket haul to leave New Zealand in tatters on day three at the MCG.

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Chasing Australia's first innings total of 467, the Kiwis were bowled out for 148 - leaving them trailing the Aussies by a whopping 319 runs.

Aussie skipper Tim Paine turned away the chance to enforce the follow on, opting to give Cummins and co. a well deserved rest.

Cummins claimed two wickets in two balls to kick off Saturday before James Pattinson and Mitchell Starc joining the party, with the Black Caps struggling in their reply to 467.

Cummins, already the world's leading wicket-taker in 2019, has taken 3-17 after removing both Ross Taylor and Henry Nicholls early in the morning.

Seen here, Aussie fast bowler Pat Cummins celebrates his five-wicket haul against New Zealand.
Pat Cummins cemented his status as the world's best fast bowler on day three at the MCG. Pic: Getty

Fresh from claiming Tom Blundell's scalp on Friday evening, Cummins had Taylor edging to third slip Marnus Labuschagne who dropped it into Joe Burns' hands.

Nicholls then went next ball trapped lbw, failing to overturn the decision on review.

Cummins missed his hat-trick but he was by no means finished, adding the wickets of Kiwi top-scorer Tom Latham (50) and Tim Southee (10) to complete his five-wicket haul.

The praise for Cummins was flying in thick and fast from viewers on social media.

Pattinson also claimed three scalps in his Test return to give the selectors a possible headache for Sydney, while Mitchell Starc's strong summer continued with 2-30.

In a dominant display in front of more than 40,000 fans at the MCG on Saturday, the Aussies had New Zealand's wickets falling at regular interval.

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Cummins' extraordinary display of bowling was typified by accuracy and consistency, regularly bowling a fourth-stump line to draw edges from the New Zealanders.

He claimed the wicket of the Black Caps' only resistance in Latham for 50 just after lunch, caught behind driving at one outside off-stump before Southee followed.

Meanwhile, Pattinson's haul of 3-34 will make for some testing time for selectors if Josh Hazlewood overcomes a hamstring strain for Sydney on Friday.

After taking the prized scalp of Kane Williamson on Friday, he removed BJ Watling and Mitchell Santner on Saturday in his first Test back on home soil in almost four years.

Starc also claimed two wickets, with Colin de Grandhomme caught at gully for 11 from a delivery that angled across him and beat him with bounce before he clean bowled Trent Boult.

It took Starc's tally for the summer to 25 at an average of 14.60, clearly the Aussies' best in their undefeated run which has included a 296-run flogging of New Zealand in Perth.

He was also unlucky not to have had another as Mitchell Santner survived a review for a catch at leg gully that appeared to take the wristband on his glove.

Hazlewood is still some chance of being fit for Sydney, meaning selectors could be forced to squeeze the four quicks into three spots.

New Zealand must at least draw the match in Melbourne to keep alive their unbeaten run in Test series, which dates back to late 2017.

With AAP