Brisbane Test, Day 5, Close
Monday, November 12, 2001

What a great match! I've never seen such an exciting finish to a game that's been so hit by rain. This result has now set up the rest of the series wonderfully – we know it'll be alive until the last Test. New Zealand will have grown in confidence, and Australia now know they need to play better than they have done. It's great for cricket.

Stephen Fleming and the New Zealanders will be bitterly disappointed to have got so close and still not won. They don't have the attack to bowl Australia out twice – so this may have been their best chance of a win in the series.

Steve Waugh saw from an early stage that it would be a tight finish. He went on the defensive a lot earlier than I expected and paid New Zealand a lot of respect. But he also sent them a message saying "you'll have to play better than this to win a Test against us". The most courageous move of the day came from him when he took up Fleming's challenge.

It's great that Australia can still pull out their ugly tricks – they've got a bit too pretty lately! We saw all the run-saving tactics in the book. Steve Waugh was very defensive with his field placings, and Glenn McGrath bowled just wide of off stump at that crucial moment – but within the laws of the game. I think Waugh just thought "there is no way I'm losing this match now".

It was a gutsy call by Steve Waugh to bring back Brett Lee right near the end. And Lee really stood up for his captain, bowling inswinging yorkers, which the Kiwis just couldn't get away.

The Kiwis could have been more intense earlier on in the run-chase. I'd love to have seen Chris Cairns come in when they only needed five and a half an over, rather than seven and a half. As it was he almost got them there – so think what he could have done if he'd come in earlier. That was a missed trick by Fleming.

It's been a fantastic outcome for Test cricket. There will be a lot of people in trouble here for getting in late to work.

Ian Healy made a record 395 dismissals in 119 Tests for Australia. His comments will be appearing on Wisden.com at the end of every session in the series. He was talking to Camilla Rossiter.

More Ian Healy
Day 5, Tea: Now we've got a game
Day 5, Lunch: Surprise, surprise

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