It was a day for the former captains at the Gabba as first Daniel Vettori and then Ricky Ponting tucked into some runs on the second day of the first Test between Australia and New Zealand. The home side finished the day on 3/154 in reply to the tourists' 295. Ponting was unbeaten on 67 with his successor as captain, Michael Clarke unbeaten on 28. Earlier Vettori top scored for New Zealand with 96 but Nathan Lyon's 4/69 helped put his side into the box seat on an increasingly flat Gabba wicket.

Ponting's second successive score above 60 looks to have cemented his place in the side for at least the rest of the summer. A position that was in doubt prior to this Test and confirmed only through a series of injuries to top order colleagues. His tendency to overbalance towards the off side was still a concern but his timing, particularly in the ‘V' and with his trademark hooks and pulls were vintage.

New Zealand began the second day at 5/176, but Daniel Vettori and Dean Brownlie soon increased that total beyond 200. Vettori was aggressive from the outset and despite being missed at mid-on by Mitchell Starc on 71 looked destined for a century. Proof that cricket's statistical milestones can unsettle even the most composed of minds Vettori panicked on 96, chancing a suicidal single against the arm of Mike Hussey. Hussey's direct hit not only ended the left-hander's excellent innings but also effectively ended New Zealand's resistance.

5/254 quickly became 295 all out as neither Reece Young (2) nor Doug Bracewell (0) offered any indication they had the aptitude for Test match batting. Tim Southee made an entertaining 17 with a few long-handled blows but showed disregard for Brownlie's chances of making a century. Chris Martin (1), the worst batsman currently playing the game at the highest level was predictably woeful. Martin's travails are entertaining for supporters but in the modern age are disrespectful to his teammates.

Nathan Lyon took three of the final four wickets to finish with 4/69, the best figures by an Australian finger-spinner at the Gabba since Bert Ironmonger in 1931. The South Australian had Bracewell snaffled by Michael Clarke at first slip, Southee caught by Hussey in the deep and also wasted a ripper on Martin's flimsy defence. It is testament to the off-spinner's skill that he was Australia's best bowler during the first three sessions of this Test match. It also raises a concern that the three pace bowlers were unable to secure more than five wickets between them despite bowling with the wicket at its most helpful.

Of the seamers Peter Siddle (2/57) deserved more than his two wickets. Apart from coaxing Young to edge to Clarke at first slip he bowled with control and looked the only one of the trio to extract movement through the air. Mitchell Starc (2/90) lacked a consistent line and James Pattinson (1/64) a consistent length but both can take encouragement from their first Test outing.

For the tourists, Dean Brownlie's sensible knock ended with him unbeaten on 77 as he guided his side to a reasonable 295.

Australia's reply, and David Warner's Test batting career, got off to a terrible start. After springing a surprise and opening with Vettori, New Zealand snuck in an unlikely second over before the lunch break. With the first of those second six deliveries Southee dropped one in short that chased Warner (3) as he swayed out of its way. The debutant failed to lower his gloves sufficiently though and flicked a simple catch through to Young behind the stumps.

Not long after the lunch break things got worse for Australia and its young pair of NSW openers. Phil Hughes somehow engineered a leading edge to a Martin delivery pitching on leg stump that flew to Martin Guptill in the gully. That dismissal for 10 meant that Hughes has passed 37 in just three of his past 25 Test innings. His place must be under severe threat when Shane Watson and Shaun Marsh return from injury.

Ponting and Khawaja dug in to take Australia to tea at 2/91 but another interval brought another dismissal. With the first ball of the final session Ponting called his younger partner through for a quick single but Kane Williamson was alert at midwicket, swooped and threw the stumps down brilliantly. It was a dubious call from the former skipper and resulted in Khawaja (38) again failing to build on a promising start.

Ponting continued, undeterred, and passed 50 for the second time in as many innings. He was largely untroubled by a workmanlike New Zealand attack, for which Chris Martin and Tim Southee found some movement but failed to put the ball in the right areas often enough while Daniel Vettori bowled smartly but with little assistance from the wicket.

Doug Bracewell proved expensive - and not only for the amount of runs he conceded. With Clarke on 23 the burly all rounder forced the Australian captain to chop onto his stumps but his celebrations were cut short by Asad Rauf who asked the third umpire to review Bracewell's front foot. The replays proved the bowler had overstepped by millimetres, and Clarke lived to fight another day.

That day will be Saturday as not long afterwards the umpires called a halt to play 18 overs before time with a farcical bad light call. Criticism should be directed to the law makers, not its enforcers, but with Test cricket desperate for good press it is not a good look to see players leaving a dry field with patches of blue sky overhead.