Australia, 117-8 at one point, turned things around in spectacular fashion in Cairns, to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series and claim the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy. Mitchell Starc (38*) first added 31 with Adam Zampa (16) and an unbroken 47 with Josh Hazlewood (23*) to take Australia to 195-9. Zampa (5-35), Sean Abbott (5-4-1-2), and Starc (2-12) then led the rout as New Zealand were shot out for 82.

Of all the New Zealand dismissals, Williamson’s stood out in particular. Williamson arrived in the first over, after Starc claimed Martin Guptill for a duck, and was almost run out to the first ball he faced. He went into a shell thereafter, lost Devon Conway and Tom Latham at the other end, survived another run out, and struggled for 57 balls for his 17.

The 58th ball was a full-toss from Zampa that Williamson would usually have been able to dispatch without much effort. The ball seemingly slipped out, for it followed an unusual trajectory, dipping from above Williamson’s eye-line to him on the thigh. Williamson, perhaps more taken aback than anything, missed the pull. Rod Tucker ruled him out. Williamson reviewed, but the replays backed the umpire.

Former Australia opener Chris Rogers, dismissed in similar fashion by Graeme Swann during the 2013 Ashes, immediately made light of the moment.

It happens

— Chris Rogers (@BuckRogers55) September 8, 2022

Watch Williamson’s bizarre dismissal here:

Maybe the strangest way you'll ever see one of the world's best dismissed 🤨 #AUSvNZ pic.twitter.com/8Aww5q8xC4

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) September 8, 2022