Former New Zealand batsman Craig McMillan lashed out at the Pat Cummins-led team for their poor performance with the bat in the ongoing first Test against New Zealand in Wellington. He believes Australia’s batting line-up is completely different without David Warner at the top.

The Australians struggled to get going with the bat in the ongoing first Test against New Zealand. The visitors were the first to bat and looked ultra defensive in their approach. Steve Smith (31) and Usman Khawaja (33) gave the team a decent start by adding 61 runs to the opening partnership.

But what surprised many was that it took almost 65 overs to achieve it. After both openers got out, the Australians lost two quick wickets and were left reeling at 89/4. Cameron Green then held the fort for his team, but was in the shell from the start, as at one point he was hitting five off 28 balls.

But as soon as Mitchell Marsh (40) reached the box, things changed for Australia. The all-rounder batted aggressively and counter-attacked the New Zealand bowlers. He put New Zealand on the defensive with his brutal innings and what his knock did was allow Cameron Green to settle.

Mitchell Marsh scored 40 runs off 39 balls before Cameron Green hit a blistering century and brought Australia back into the game. The all-rounder played a lone warrior role for his team and although he took some time early on, he made sure to capitalize on the time it took him to adapt.

Craig McMillan, who was commentating on Day 1, was taken aback by the way Australia batted. He pointed out how David Warner used to put opponents on the defensive before the ball was even thrown. Speaking of Australia’s survival mentality, he explained:

“Warner put players on defense before they even threw the ball. It’s a different type of lineup without Warner at the helm. “I was surprised how defensive Australia were, it was just a survival mentality.”

Since David Warner retired from Test cricket, Australia has struggled to reach the top. Although Steve Smith has played decent shots, the impact that the left-hander used to bring with him has been missing.

“This hasn’t been a runaway start by Australian standards” – Sky Sports commentator Scotty Stevenson

Sky Sports commentator Scotty Stevenson also spoke about Australia’s defensive approach with the bat on Day 1 of the ongoing Test against New Zealand. He noted that the Australian aggression was missed as it was not a runaway start on his part. He added:

“If you look at Australia and the aggression they tend to provoke. “This hasn’t been a runaway start by Australian standards, that’s for sure.”

On Day 1, the Aussies were 279/9 with Cameron Green unbeaten on 103. They would hope to get past 300 runs on the board and give the bowlers something to fight with. The all-rounder will be vital to the visitors’ chances on Day 2.