[2] Three Australia players, opening batsman David Warner and fast bowlers James Pattinson and Mitchell Starc, made their Test debuts in this match, after injuries to five players (batsmen Shane Watson and Shaun Marsh, and fast bowlers Ryan Harris, Mitchell Johnson and Pat Cummins), all of whom played in Australia's 1–1 series tie against South Africa earlier that month.

Australia had the upper hand in the morning session, reducing New Zealand to 4/94 at lunch, with only Brendon McCullum (34) making more than twenty.

The pair added eighty runs without loss before play was called off due to rain and bad light before tea.

In the first hour of Day 4, debutant fast bowler James Pattinson (5/27) dismissed the entire New Zealand top order to reduce the Black Caps to 5/28.

Pattinson took the first five wickets of the innings, including McCullum (1) on Day 3, then Martin Guptill (12), Kane Williamson (0), Ross Taylor (0) and nightwatchman Doug Bracewell (2).

Uncapped fast bowler Trent Boult was brought into the New Zealand team to replace Daniel Vettori, who pulled out late with an injury.

The Australian bowlers dominated play on Day 1, dismissing New Zealand for 150 at tea, with only Dean Brownlie (56) managing more than twenty runs.

After dismissing Kane Williamson (34) in the first over of the day, Australia took New Zealand's seven remaining wickets for only 87 runs in the morning session.

Debutant Trent Boult (21 from 13 balls) helped to add 23 runs for the tenth wicket to extend New Zealand's score to 226, and set Australia a target of 241 for victory.

In a rain-interrupted afternoon and evening, Australia faced 19 overs, and openers Phillip Hughes and David Warner reached stumps without loss, with the score 0/72.

This proved controversial in the second Test when Australian batsman David Warner (123*) easily won the award ahead of New Zealand bowler Doug Bracewell (3/20 & 6/40), whose bowling was a big key to the New Zealand victory; votes for Warner outnumbered votes for Bracewell by more than two to one, and home-country favouritism among voters was blamed.

[3] Cricket Australia abandoned the voting system after the series, and reverted to the traditional method of having the Player of the Match chosen by a panel of experts.