First of all I am amazed that the Australians allowed Starc to...

First of all I am amazed that the Australians allowed Starc to go out into the middle to bat at all given his condition, but then again with some of the subs they used in the field I can't be that surprised I guess. I totally agree with the comment about New Zealand's poor batting, in both the first and second innings, though.

With Johnson's retirement and the absence of Starc, Australia's bowling stocks for the second innings are threadbare without a strike bowler and with only two pacemen and a spinner with part-timers to help out. All they had to do was get through last night with plenty of time left in the Test not to mention betting batting conditions from this afternoon to enjoy, yet they all threw their wickets away. They could have and should have worn Hazlewood and Siddle into the ground knowing there is no back-up and even with Lyon he can only hold one end up, leaving the other end exposed.

Guptill is a walking wicket, Latham's shot to get out was even more appalling than McCullum's first innings dismissal while Williamson, Taylor and McCullum all got into really poor positions re: their footwork to also lose their wickets and the same for Watling needlessly giving his wicket away today.

As for the ongoing inferiority complex of New Zealanders when it comes to Australia, just because Australia has a bigger population it doesn't mean you can't win a game of cricket! Australia with Starc have three world class players. The other two are Warner and Smith. New Zealand also have three world class players in Williamson, Taylor and McCullum and in Starc's absence Australia's bowling is horribly exposed. I'd back some of the leading associates to take the Aussies to the sword in such a situation, but the Kiwis just can't do it.

If 90+% of sport is played between the ears then the Kiwis are a prime example of it. If only the players and their supporters at large could get over this 'They've got more people then we have so we can't compete' complex then their results in cricket and in many other sports rugby aside would be so much better that what it is it wouldn't be funny!