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'That clever?': Dave Warner's sneaky 'tactic' to trick NZ

Was it gamesmanship from David Warner or was the Aussie batsman just going about his business as usual?

Test great Mark Waugh thinks the Aussie opener may have outwitted New Zealand on the third day of the opening Test in Perth, courtesy of a sneaky tactic.

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The Kiwis thought they had Warner caught for 15 when a short ball from Colin de Grandhomme was taken in the slips.

Umpire Aleem Dar turned away the New Zealand appeals as Warner turned to seemingly walk away from the batting crease.

Perhaps viewing it as a sign that the Aussie batsman knew he was out, Kiwi captain Kane Williamson immediately challenged the umpire's not out decision.

Seen here, New Zealand wasted a DRS challenge on a ball that hit David Warner's shoulder.
New Zealand wasted a DRS challenge after the ball struck David Warner's shoulder. Pic: Getty/Fox Sports

Replays showed that Warner's bat was nowhere near the ball and that it had struck his shoulder before being caught behind, with snicko also coming up blank.

Commentating for Fox Sports, Waugh couldn't help but think that it was gamesmanship from Warner that saw the Kiwis blow one of their DRS challenges.

“I wonder whether David Warner was just foxing New Zealand so they would go for the review knowing that he didn’t hit it,” Waugh said on Fox Cricket.

“Would he be that clever?”

New Zealand then blew their other review a short time later with an optimistic LBW shout on a ball to Marnus Labuschagne that was comfortably wide of his stumps.

Regardless of whether Warner intentionally tried to dupe the Kiwis into burning their first review or not, his wobbly innings didn't last much longer.

Warner was caught off guard by extra pace and bounce of a Tim Southee short ball, falling to a regulation catch for 19 runs.

It proved a blueprint for a much improved day for New Zealand with the ball as the visitors made the most of the tricky evening conditions.

Kiwi bowlers find success after going short

New Zealand will still need to pull off a world-record chase in Perth but the Black Caps found their plan for the summer after a barrage of short balls claimed a bag of wickets.

The Aussies went to stumps at 6-167 on Saturday night, leading New Zealand by 417 with two full days still to play in the first Test of the three-match series.

But the scoreboard only told half the story at Optus Stadium.

Five Australian batsmen fell in a chaotic final 15 overs, as New Zealand kept at their plan of digging the ball in short with catchers on both the pull shot and behind square.

Warner, Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne were all caught on the pull shot on Saturday, Travis Head turned one to leg gully and Joe Burns was also dismissed after a short ball rapped his gloves.

"They have done it in the past and to all sorts of teams. We knew that tactic was coming," Burns said.

"It's tough because they are executing the balls they want to bowl.

"It's easier said than done to say you're just going to come around the wicket or for (Neil) Wagner to bowl long periods of the short ball with that field.

"As a batter you've just got to wear them down and try and pounce on bad balls.

"They didn't miss many times or give us many free runs as can happen with that theory. It's why they are the No.2 Test team in the world."

Burns himself hit a gritty 53, while Marnus Labuschagne's 50 was the first time he has failed to make a century in a glittering summer.

Smith's dismissal on 16 would have been more concerning for the Aussies.

After being caught pulling at leg trap in the first innings, he again succumbed to a Wagner short ball when he hit one straight to Jeet Raval at square leg halfway in from the rope.

Tim Paine was the only Australian out to a fuller ball, bowled by a Tim Southee beauty for a duck as the right-armer finished with 4-63.

"It's definitely a tactic we've used in New Zealand to good effect and Neil has been a fantastic exponent of doing that," senior Black Cap Ross Taylor said.

"The match-up throughout this whole series, not just this match, will be key and we'll get a lot of confidence from that."

The late flurry of wickets mean New Zealand will likely find themselves batting against the new ball during the preferred daytime batting period.

But surviving or prospering against Australia won't be easy after they made just 166 in their first innings.

Mitchell Starc on Saturday finished off his third five-wicket haul in day-night Tests, as his 5-52 tore through the Black Caps' reply to Australia's 416.

Starc's fifth - and only wicket on day three - was shrouded in controversy, with Colin de Grandhomme caught in slips on 23.

Replays appeared to show the ball had missed his gloves before clattering into his helmet, however third umpire Marais Erasmus couldn't find enough evidence to overturn the on-field call.

With Josh Hazlewood injured, Nathan Lyon also bagged two - including the key scalp of Taylor for 80.

With AAP