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“A little touch there and Inglis is gone, Australia can’t get that good start once again,” Ian Smith said of Inglis’ dismissal in commentary for Fox Cricket.

“It’s smart cricket but poor batting.”

“Well-bowled and also well-captained there by Williamson there,” added Brad Haddin.

“He moved his second slip out to a floating gully which means with this shot Inglis had to try hit the ball hard and not guide it down. He had to change his tactics and hit the ball rather than try use the pace.”

Trent Boult was 1-7 off six overs to begin, putting New Zealand in a strong position in what Kerry O’Keeffe described as a “good shift” before Lockie Ferguson came in.

O’Keeffe said it was a “roll of the dice” putting Ferguson in and that it gave Smith and Labuschagne a chance to strike.

“He’s either going to be blistering and be a strike bowler economically or he’s going to leak,” O’Keeffe said.

“What is it going to be today? He’s an X-factor but he can get it wrong.

“They’re looking to hit some early boundaries off Lockie Ferguson. This is the escape valve. Can they get hold of Lockie Ferguson?”

Smith and Labuschagne, who had initially played the patient game, started to find success against Ferguson in the 15th over, getting eight runs including one boundary.

The pair continued to tick over the runs for Australia, leaving New Zealand in a tricky position trying to break up the duo who were able to steady the ship and combine for 50.

“The criticism of having Smith and Labuschagne in the same team is that they’re both similar in their methods but when you are two for not many, they are the ideal three and four,” O’Keeffe said.

“They love the art of batting together. Their partnerships are strong. They really do love each other’s company at the crease.”

Labuschagne then hit two quick boundaries off Ferguson to continue to build the pressure on New Zealand who just could not find an answer to break up the duo.

With Smith and Labuschagne putting together a strong partnership, the Australians looked on track for a solid score between 200 and 250.

Given New Zealand’s struggles with the bat in the first two matches, Smith said the Kiwis had to get the bad memories “out of their head”.

New Zealand though eventually got a crucial wicket when Labuschagne gifted Boult a simple catch with Ferguson breaking up the partnership.

“This is a coach killer isn’t it, when you come out of the drink’s break, you’ve got a partnership set and a wicket falls,” Mel Jones said in commentary.

“A big wicket and that is why Ferguson is in the team, he’s a wicket-taker,” added Haddin.

Speaking to Fox Cricket after his valuable knock, Labuschagne said he was happy to get back to his best form having been dismissed for five and a duck in his previous two outings.

“I’ve been very frustrated with myself, the way I’ve been playing so to come out today and be really calm when we were in a bit of a tricky position, I feel like my game was in a really good place today,” Labuschagne said.

Smith’s stunning knock, meanwhile, eventually came to an end on the first ball of the 44th over after he was clean bowled by Mitchell Santer.

Maxwell put on a show early as he came in to replace Smith and was given a reprieve when he sent the ball high into the air, with Kane Williamson just spilling the catch.

“That could be very costly,” said Mark Waugh in commentary.

Speaking to Fox Cricket ahead of Sunday’s game, Finch had said he was “very comfortable” with the decision to retire from the ODI format and was hoping to go off on a high note.

“It’s the right time,” he said.

“It’s time for someone else to take the team in a new direction, in the direction they want to go in. It’s been a good ride and I wouldn’t change it for anything.”

New Zealand won the toss and chose to bowl first, with captain Kane Williamson telling Fox Cricket his side is still “trying to get familiar with the surface”.

“It tends to skit on a little bit,” he added.

“Having said that, I think there is something in it for bowlers all-long match. We’ll just make use of it first up to try and put the ball in the right areas.”

Finch said he also would have “probably” chose to bowl if he had won the toss but welcomed the chance for Australia’s top order to test itself after struggles throughout the series.

“I was pretty happy to lose it, it was one of those ones where I probably would have bowled if I had won the toss but not too disappointed,” he said.

“I think it is an area our top order needs to keep doing better.”

Unfortunately the top order woes continued, with Smith and Labuschagne tasked with trying to steer Australia back in the right direction.

Injured all-rounder Marcus Stoinis was Saturday ruled out while David Warner was released from the squad to rest, with Josh Inglis and Cameron Green joining the side.

Stoinis lasted just six balls with the bat and bowled only three overs in the second ODI in Cairns on Thursday that Australia won by 113 runs.

With the three-match series wrapped up and Sunday’s final game a dead rubber, he will go for treatment on a low-level side strain.

“Stoinis will undergo treatment in rehabilitation in Perth leading into the tour of India,” a three-game T20 series later this month, Cricket Australia said.

Pace bowler Nathan Ellis, who has played three ODIs, was drafted in as a replacement.

Opener Warner was given time off “considering a heavy workload over the next 12 months and the series being secured”.

As for New Zealand, Finn Allen comes in for Martin Guptill, while Glenn Phillips replaces Michael Bracewell and Ferguson is a late addition in the place of Matt Henry.

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