ADELAIDE, Nov 28: New Zealand missed a golden chance to amass a huge total as Australia, making a trademark comeback, restrained them to a modest total on the opening day of the second and final Test at the Adelaide Oval here on Friday.

The tourists ended the day at a moderate 262 for the loss of six wickets after a solid beginning in the morning.

The tourists wasted their opportunity with a rash of loose shots after New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori had no hesitation in batting on the best surface in Australia.

Aaron Redmond’s career-best 83 gave New Zealand a strong base in between bouts of thoughtlessness that prevented them from staging the type of beginning needed to worry Australia, who lead the two-match series 1-0.

The Australian bowlers were steady with occasional bright patches, but all that was needed was to wait for mistakes from a line-up that switched from defensive to casual and reckless. Redmond found the correct mix in his career-best score until he lost his mind briefly by slogging to deep midwicket and Jamie How, Jesse Ryder and Peter Fulton experienced similar lapses.

New Zealand went to lunch at a cosy 101 for one, but two wickets fell within half an hour of the interval and Fulton (29) pulled the medium pace of Andrew Symonds to Simon Katich before tea.

Brendon McCullum (30) and Vettori (12) negotiated a difficult last hour, but by then the side had already lost too many specialists. All of the top eight reached double figures, with only Redmond passing fifty.

Off-spinner Nathan Hauritz, playing his first Test in four years, was twice slog-swept by Redmond for sixes. But Hauritz’s fortunes changed when Ryder (13), was caught at midwicket by Michael Clarke.

Hauritz, who went for 29 in first three overs, then dismissed Redmond, who tried a third six and found Symonds running around just inside the boundary at deep midwicket.

New Zealand could have been in a worse state if Matthew Hayden, playing his 100th Test, collected a sharp take to his right when Fulton edged an attempted drive at Hauritz on nine, or if Brett Lee had not over-stepped when Ross Taylor was caught at cover by Symonds when five. Taylor was in fine form on the way to 44 before he was unlucky to be given out lbw by Rudi Koertzen.

Brett Lee, who dismissed Daniel Flynn for 11, was one of four bowlers to take a wicket, while Hauritz had figures of two for 63. However, his eventful day continued when he turned his left ankle while fielding at fine leg and he did not bowl after tea.

Mitchell Johnson collected the only breakthrough of the first session when he sent Jamie How (16) back. How fell to a poor misjudgment when he drove wildly at another wide ball from Johnson, who watched the edge go to the wicket-keeper Brad Haddin.

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