Alex Carey made a wise choice to review and made the most of his second life to come close to a second Test century, which he said he was "happy" to miss out on.

Mitch Marsh also benefited from a reprieve to score 80, before falling victim to a brilliant burst from debutant Ben Sears.

Here are the five quick hits from day four of the second Test in Christchurch.

1. Head offers up a parting gift

Travis Head has been a regular firefighter for Australia in recent years, coming to the crease in tough situations and changing games with his counter-attacking batting.

When it works, it looks fantastic. When it doesn't work, as it didn't on day four at Hagley Oval, it can come across as purely irresponsible.

Making this particular wicket even worse was the warning that Head had received and immediately ignored. The ball before, Mitch Marsh had played a sloppy and reckless cut shot but had been dropped by Rachin Ravindra at point.

Having just seen Marsh get a reprieve, Head decided to do the exact same thing. His ill-advised cut shot went straight into the hands of Will Young at point, and this time the fielder made no mistake.

With so much of Australia's hopes on his shoulders, it was not a moment Travis Head would want to relive.

2. Marsh makes the most of his life

Amidst all the excitement of Head getting out, in the ball prior, Marsh was given a massive life by Rachin Ravindra.

Cutting a wide one straight down the throat of backward point should have spelled the end of the swashbuckling West Australian.

But Ravindra coughed up the mirror-image chance that got the wicket of Head to give Marsh a life on 28.

It wasn't long after that he came within an inch of playing the ball into his own stumps, as well as playing and missing multiple times.

But continuing to play his shots served him well, reaching his ninth Test half-century from just 64 balls and eventually scoring 80 to bring the Aussies to within touching distance of victory.

3. A big review for Carey

As Australia's last recognised batter, Alex Carey had to play a crucial role in this chase, his wicket vital for both teams' chances of winning the Test.

So when he was rapped on the pads by Matt Henry and umpire Nitin Menon raised his finger, it was a massive moment.

Live, Carey looked in trouble, but after some consideration he decided to send the decision upstairs.

The tracker showed that the ball was doing too much, missing leg stump, and third umpire Michael Gough overturned the decision.

It proved vital. Carey was on 19 when he reviewed. He went into lunch having made his eighth Test 50.

4. A burst of brilliance from Ben

Australia seemed pretty well set to secure victory with Mitch Marsh and Travis Head rolling their way towards the total.

But with 59 runs still required, a bowling change blew the game back open.

Debutant Ben Sears was thrown the ball and proceeded to get Marsh swinging wildly at a wide one.

Unperturbed, the 26-year-old arrowed the next ball into the West Australian's pads, with Marais Erasmus — standing in his 82nd and final Test — raised his finger like a shot.

Marsh reviewed but the DRS showed that the ball was going on to clip leg stump.

Mitch Starc came out to the middle, and when went back to the pavilion, clipping a rising delivery straight to bat pad to give Sears two-in-two. 

It gave the Kiwis' hope. But as any sports fan knows, it's the hope that kills you.

5. Carey 'happy' to miss out on a hundred

Carey had superbly guided Australia towards victory and, with three runs required, he found himself on 97.