On a day in which fortunes tilted back and forth, both Clarke and Ponting could have been back in the pavilion.
Ponting, before he had scored, survived a tight lbw call from seamer Chris Martin; then would have been run out when sent back, losing his bat and being a metre short of his crease when Brendon McCullum's throw whistled past the stumps.
Clarke, on 23, played a ball from Doug Bracewell on to his stumps. Rauf told him not to go far, calling for a check on whether Bracewell had overstepped for the fifth time in the day. He had, and Clarke fights on. Bracewell did the same in the test in Zimbabwe last month.
One or two no balls, maybe. Five? No. This needs to get sorted out smartly. When Usman Khawaja was run out by a terrific piece of work by Kane Williamson first ball after tea, Australia were 91 for three and it was game on.
Ponting, driving strongly and pulling cleanly and eyeing his 40th test century, and Clarke, who was assertive, adjusted the balance. This is turning into a fascinating contest. But New Zealand need wickets this morning.
"It is the sort of wicket where if you can get one, you can grab another couple quickly," Daniel Vettori said last night.
"No matter the partnerships we've just got to hang in there. The first session is the key so we must not let the game get away from us."
The exercise for New Zealand yesterday was to pull themselves back into the match and pockets of the day undeniably belonged to the visitors.
The revival was due to the remarkable Vettori, and the new man in just his second test, Dean Brownlie.
Vettori must be a frustrating batsman to bowl at.
Not only is he highly competent, but he's resourceful and inventive and finds places to scores runs others can't.
He went to his 23rd test 50 in the day's first over with a couple of fours, steered another over slips and he was off.
Brownlie had been skittery on Thursday, but yesterday was sure-footed, confident in what he was about and got to his second half century in three test innings with the shot of the entire innings, a superb on drive.
Vettori wasn't without some good fortune. He skewed one ball over the slips and completed his second run in an undignified sprawl to avoid being run out; and he benefited from Mitchell Starc's hesitation under a skied sweep at wide mid on.
Vettori was one good blow away from becoming the 24th New Zealander to make a century against Australia when he pushed to mid off and was beaten by Mike Hussey's direct throw.
The last five wickets fell for just 41, Brownlie's unbeaten 73 should enhance his feelings about his ability to play at the highest level. Zimbabwe is one thing; the Aussies at the Gabba quite another.
New Zealand then chipped out openers David Warner and Phil Hughes, and Khawaja before the old hands steadied things, albeit with a huge slice of fortune along the way.
