Test Expected To Go Down To The Wire

David Warner suspects the second Test could be a final-hour thriller, with Kane Williamson continuing to play a defiant hand on New Zealand's tour of Australia.

NZ were 2-140 at stumps on day two of the WACA clash, Williamson having scored half that total.

Steve Smith's men resumed at 2-416 on Saturday, reaching 9-559 in the second session when the skipper declared.

Usman Khawaja was then forced off the field due to a hamstring injury in a frustrating final session for the hosts, with Tom Latham the only wicket to fall.

"It's probably one of those games that is going to go five days and come down to the last hour," Warner predicted.

"It's going to be tough to try and take 20 wickets on this deck.

"It looks nice and hard, it's quite slow for a WACA wicket."

Mitchell Starc struck with the new ball, the left-armer hitting the 150 km/h mark and trapping Martin Guptill lbw in a fiery opening spell.

Williamson negotiated what remained of an awkward 10 overs before tea.

He did so with typical class and textbook technique, the highlight being a pair of driven boundaries off Mitchell Johnson.

Williamson continued to defy the hosts and handle Johnson with ease during the evening session, when Nathan Lyon removed Latham.

"He's showing his team and us how to bat," Warner said, having been dismissed for 253 in the morning session.

"He's one of the best players in the world. He's been their rock and proven it again today."

Smith must have felt like he was banging his head against a brick wall, such was the way Williamson picked the gaps and stroked boundaries in stifling heat.

Joe Burns, fielding at short leg, certainly felt that way.

In the first over after tea, Williamson smacked a short delivery in the direction of the Queenslander.

Burns had no time to react, the ball cracking the peak of his helmet.

Team doctor Peter Brukner checked Burns for signs of concussion before clearing him to stay on the field.

Smith wasted the side's first review in the same over, when he was convinced Williamson was out edging on 17.

Replays showed a big gap between bat and ball.

Burns technically had a chance to dismiss Williamson in the middle session, although it would be wrong to describe it as a dropped catch.

Williamson was on three when he first struck Burns, the ball ricocheting off the top of the 26-year-old's arm.

NZ's talented first drop has passed 50 in every innings on the current tour and there has been little to suggest he won't go on with it on Sunday.

The Black Caps still have a mountain of work to do after Australia posted the sixth highest Test total at the venue.

"It's a nice batting track ... batting time is the key at the moment," NZ paceman Doug Bracewell said.

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