McCullum plays down bowling struggles

The good news for New Zealand? Kane Williamson's 140 at the Gabba was the best hundred captain Brendon McCullum has seen by a New Zealander in his time playing international cricket. The bad news? You might not need 20 wickets to win a Test, but it's nigh on impossible to win one when you only take eight. And Williamson himself took one of those with his occasional offspin.

The four second-innings wickets can barely be counted, coming as they did when Australia were racing to a 500-run lead at light-speed. Spectators expected so much more of New Zealand's bowlers in this Test. New Zealand's bowlers expected so much more of themselves. Yes, there were some extenuating circumstances: Tim Southee hurt his back. But that can only extenuate so much.

Doug Bracewell failed to take a wicket in the match. Mark Craig took three, but only after he had already leaked 225 runs. Perhaps the most disappointing for New Zealand was Trent Boult, who was down on pace and asked few questions of Australia's top order in either innings, after Richard Hadlee had described Boult and Southee as New Zealand's all-time finest new-ball pair.

It was not only the first time in Test history that Australia's opening pair had put on century partnerships in each innings, it was also the first time New Zealand's bowlers had conceded hundred opening stands in each innings. McCullum hopes that his men will be better for the experience come the second Test in Perth, but now they enter that game 1-0 down.

"I thought Tim was outstanding, especially considering his back started to flare up as well," McCullum said. "He showed a lot of heart to keep pushing through some pretty uncomfortable feelings there. I thought he was really good.

"We know Boulty is a world-class bowler. He was just a little bit off in this Test match. I put that down to how aggressive Australia were at times as well. Boulty will be better for the run. He's been world-class for a long time for us. I thought Dougie got better as the Test match wore on.

"I don't think you can read too much into Mark Craig's bowling in the first innings. It's not his job to bowl first innings at the Gabba, but we had to utilise him in that role because unfortunately we didn't have any control from our seamers. I thought he got better as the Test went on ... We've seen in the past as well that he gets better as tours go on."

McCullum's words about Craig could be viewed as generous. At no stage in the first innings did he look like taking a wicket, but nor did he look like containing the runs. In both innings Craig conceded more than five an over. After his struggles in the warm-up games, he now has a tour aggregate of 4 for 505.

There are other concerns for New Zealand as well. Ross Taylor looked scratchy in both innings, out for a duck in the first and 26 in the second. Since his centuries in three consecutive Tests at home to West Indies in late 2013, he has averaged 31.47. Taylor's class is without doubt, but Australia will again fancy their chances against him at the WACA.

At least there were some encouraging signs from the top three in this match. Martin Guptill and Tom Latham put on partnerships of 56 and 44, and Williamson's 140 and 59 reiterated that he is one of the finest batsmen in world cricket. Given the quality of the Australian attack and the lack of support he was getting from the other end, his first-innings century was of the highest order.

"Kane Williamson, probably best hundred I've seen from a New Zealander in the time I've been playing," McCullum said. "Just full of class and once again shows how good a player he is, and that he can score runs in any conditions against any attack all around the world.

"He's a huge positive out of this Test match. I thought the openers were good as well. They looked poised and controlled and defensively very sound. I'm sure they'll take a lot out of this as well."