Some random thoughts, admittedly based on a sample size of one game, the year so far, and falling asleep for two-thirds of the game.
Bowling:
With the squad we've got we really missed Adam Milne. Tickner seemed a step down when he came on at first change, and at that stage of the innings he didn't look like taking a wicket, so that was a little bit of a pressure release. Ish looked to be bowling a good line without much turn early on, but seems to have been hit a bit more later in the innings?
We also missed Santner's potential to bowl a spell of ten overs for 35 - 45 runs. Great to have Lockie back.
Batting:
Good to see Guptil with a return to runs at the international level. Allen still has that nagging suspicion of being a guy with a very good eye who might hit 80 from 45, but might just as easily be "six and out" much of the time. Young also has a growing sense of a guy who will be around for three to four years until the next best option comes along. Will be very happy to be wrong.
Nicholls continues to struggle against teams who won't gift him a life or two. I still shudder at Ian Smith making comparisons with Alan Border to a primarily Australian audience a few years back. We will need Latham's famed minnow bashing skills in full force for the rest of the series.
Sir Michael Bracewell.
(Knighthood citation: two losses of that magnitude in the weekend would have been unbearable).
