Phillips became only the fourth New Zealand spinner to take a fifer at the Basin Reserve.

For the second time in two days, Kane Williamson had left the playing field of the Basin Reserve shaking his head. This was more disappointment than anger though. Much different to his angsty exit on Friday (March 1), following the collision with Will Young and the further embarrassment of being run-out for a blob. There he at least could potentially blame a couple of other factors even if it was his highly ambitious call that set off the unfortunate series of events.

On Saturday (March 2), he had only himself to blame. Yes, it was a clever piece of bowling from Nathan Lyon. The wily off-spinner had only changed his angle to around the wicket a couple of deliveries prior. He'd also got his leg-slip to go a little squarer. The fix was in. The trap had been set. And Williamson obliged exactly the way Lyon had hoped he would. Moving across his stumps, enough to get closed-up in his stance, leaving himself no way out but play with the inside-half of his bat and give Steve Smith at leg-slip a sharp yet straightforward chance. For the second time in two days, Williamson had not only squandered a chance to set his recent untoward record right against Australia; he'd also played a role in eliminating the biggest potential threat for the visitors. Nine runs across two innings, and with very little impact on the match overall. It was a seminal moment, not just in the overall match, but on the third day's proceedings.

New Zealand had found a way to claw their way back into the contest, even if only barely through an inspired middle session. The resistance had come from an unlikely source, Glenn Phillips' off-spin. In one of the most unlikely, or unexpected, spells of bowling dominance, the pugnacious Phillips had become only the fourth Kiwi spinner to ever take a five-wicket haul at the Basin Reserve. There were so many factors for it to be a special effort. Not only were home team well behind in the game when captain Tim Southee finally turned to his sixth bowling option. But the pitch too had seemingly started to play a lot easier with Usman Khawaja looking to play one of his trademark long vigils.

Then started the Phillips turnaround, quite literally. He'd knocked over the opener before the lunch break, getting him to play an injudicious shot.

He'd then returned to not only continue to take wickets but also make the Basin look like a kind of raging turner you'd find in the southern part of India, getting balls to turn and bounce venomously. One by one he continued to tick them off, running through the middle-order. The Australians contributed too, playing some rather reckless shots and enabling his star turn. And by the time John Cena's music started blasting through the speakers around the Basin, as they do for Phillips in this part of the world, he was running like Cena does to the ring towards his teammates, celebrating his fifth wicket. After one of the more forgettable days of Test cricket, the Black Caps had found some heart and some soul to finish the Australian second innings on their terms rather than have them dictated to them as was expected. It also meant that they had less than 400 to chase down, even if 369 would be the highest successful run-chase for New Zealand if this team were to get there.

So, for the first time in the Test, New Zealand exited and re-entered with some momentum. Only to hand it right back, firstly with Tom Latham getting out to a delivery that should never have got him out. Even Lyon seemed to think so based on his reaction. Then came the Williamson dismissal. The two senior pros both getting out as much owing to their own errors than Lyon, the delivery, or the pitch. It was pretty obvious that Lyon was the big threat. But New Zealand had lost their biggest wickets even before the modern-day legend had even got into his groove.

That Williamson's departure wasn't a dramatic event in terms of how everyone reacted was also a glimpse into how untoward the whole affair was. And despite the impressive unbeaten half-century from Rachin Ravindra, not to forget his partnership with Daryl Mitchell, New Zealand are still left with a mountain to climb with their target still 258 runs away.

Smith did speak later in the day about the bite not being the same off the surface as the innings progressed and the ball got older. But Lyon will remain a threat and getting to the target will remain an improbable task.

Their historical record in the last three decades and the resulting mental scars won't help either. And since this is the No 1 ranked Test team in the world we're talking about, coming close won't count for much unless they go on to do the unthinkable and down their mighty rivals.