If you need a better illustration of the conundrum that is Mitchell Marsh then take a look at the first Test. The No.6 did not score a run but not for the first time his bowling threw his captain a lifeline with the ball.

Such was the gulf between the two teams in Wellington, it's hard to see how the result would have changed had Australia picked a specialist batsman, say Marsh's brother Shaun, instead, but they would have been made to work a lot harder.

The match may have seen a fifth day, which was far from ideal for Australia given Peter Siddle's injury issues, the extra load it would have placed on Josh Hazlewood, and the short gap until the next match.