The criticism keeps coming the Blackcaps' way, with former Australian captain Ricky Ponting taking another shot at New Zealand's test team.
Ponting says Kiwi spinner Mitchell Santner is "unselectable" for the New Year's test in Sydney, while putting the spotlight on Kane Williamson's captaincy after Australia took a major step towards sealing the series on Friday.
Just as he failed to do in the opening test in Perth, Santner has failed to take a wicket after two days in the Boxing Day test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
Ponting highlighted the moment Williamson decided to let Tom Blundell - who is usually a wicket-keeper - bowl, a decision former Blackcaps captain Brendon McCullum labelled "staggering".
After bowling Australia out for 467 late on day two, the Blackcaps reached 44/2 at stumps.
"I don't think they can play him [Santner], simple as that," Ponting told cricket.com.au. "He just doesn't offer enough.
"He's just not consistent enough with the ball, he puts pressure on himself. His first few balls of each spell are costing him runs and relieving pressure on the batsmen.
"Even coming in halfway through today, he'd only bowled seven overs in the game - that's not good enough. That showed Williamson had lost a bit of confidence in him.
"Unless he does something miraculous with the bat or if he gets a second chance to bowl – which he might not - I don't think they can pick him for Sydney."
The decision to bowl Blundell left Ponting staggered.
"At different times today you could tell when the test was slipping away from them, they went for the option that wasn't the right one, starting with Blundell after the lunch break and not going to Wagner first thing this morning," Ponting told cricket.com.au in some brutal analysis.
"If they were going to take wickets this morning, it had to be their enforcer, the one who looked most likely to take wickets - which is Wagner.
"With the short ball barrage that he uses, he doesn't go for many runs, because the batsman [often] doesn't take him on.
"You're a great chance of taking wickets but also the scoreboard isn't getting away from you- it just seemed like a really obvious thing to me that they would start with him this morning.
"There will be some questions asked and even sitting in [commentary for Channel Seven] with Brendon McCullum - he was asking a few questions of the tactical moves Kane was employing, to the point where Brendon said he'd never seen him so flustered or unorganised on the field.
"Certainly today there were a few strange decisions."
Before the test, Ponting told Australia's 7News that New Zealand had little to no hope of winning the Boxing Day test and the series.
Ponting felt New Zealand would be better off with leg-spinner Todd Astle in the team. Will Somerville and left-armer Ajaz Patel are two other spinners the Blackcaps could use, but both were not selected to tour Australia.
"When you look at his record, Santner, he's played 23 tests and taken 38 wickets at over 40 [45.31] - one, he's not taking wickets and two, he's not keeping it tight," Ponting said.
"That doesn't sound like much of a bowling option to me.
"When you've got an allrounder in your side like de Grandhomme, it lends itself to picking a more attacking, wicket-taking spinner.
"If they're only going to bowl seven overs [on day one], then it may as well be a leg-spinner who's a better chance to take wickets for you."
Day three of the test gets underway at 12:30pm.
