Cricket world reacts amid big news about Kane Williamson and wife during Test series

Kane Williamson might not be getting much sleep during the first cricket Test between New Zealand and Australia after welcoming his third child with wife Sarah. The former Black Caps skipper took to social media this week to share the wonderful news.

Posting a photo with the newborn and his wife, Williamson wrote: "And then there was 3. Welcome to the world beautiful girl. So grateful for your safe arrival and the exciting journey ahead."

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Williamson missed the recent T20 series against Australia in preparation for his new daughter's arrival. He and Sarah welcomed their first daughter in 2020 before having a son in 2022.

The 33-year-old returned for the first Test against Australia at the Basin Reserve on Thursday, but he might be feeling a bit weary if the new arrival caused some sleepless nights. The former skipper has been in red-hot form of late and scored three centuries in a recent two-Test series against South Africa.

He currently has 32 Test centuries and is one behind Alastair Cook, who is 10th on the all-time list for hundreds in Test cricket. Williamson has seven centuries in last seven Tests at an average of 92.27 in that time.

New Zealand opt to bowl in first Test against Australia

However he was forced to wait for another bat on Thursday after captain Tim Southee won the toss and elected to bowl. The Black Caps are hunting their first win over Australia in a home Test match in 31 years, and have gone with an all-out pace attack.

Scott Kuggeleijn beat Mitchell Santner for the final place in the Kiwi XI, meaning the hosts picked four specialist fast bowlers. Kuggeleijn joins Will O'Rourke in the side, with both playing just their second Test matches.

O'Rourke took nine wickets on debut earlier this month against South Africa, while Kuggeleijn hasn't played at Test level since a sole outing against England last year. The pair were called in to replace the injured Kyle Jamieson and retired Neil Wagner.

"We've played enough here to know it's a pretty good surface ... hopefully there's a little bit early on," Southee said after sending Australia in to bowl on a green pitch.

Pat Cummins said he would have bowled as well if he'd called correctly. "We were going to bowl but not too upset with that," he said. "Seems like there has been some first innings scores that have been big so that's the aim today ... excited to get out there with a bit of colour in it."

Usman Khawaja said earlier in the day: "This wicket, it looks pretty green out there. Sometimes in New Zealand it looks worse than they play ... even if you have a really green wicket if you get through the new ball, it can be a pretty nice place to bat.

"But overcast conditions, green wicket, it can be quite tough. We all pretend like we know what's going to happen out there but no one really knows until we go out and play."

AUSTRALIA XI: Steve Smith, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Mitch Marsh, Alex Carey, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (capt), Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.

NEW ZEALAND XI: Tom Latham, Will Young, Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell, Glenn Phillips, Scott Kuggeleijn, Matt Henry, Tim Southee (capt), Will O'Rourke.

with AAP

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