NEW Zealand had more DRS dramas to rue yesterday as the series began to slip away in searing heat on the first day of the second Test at the WACA Ground. 
For the second time in the series, Kiwi skipper Brendon McCullum was left to lament having used up both of his -reviews before his team rec-eived a shocker of a decision they could not get overturned.
Yesterday, Australian batsman Usman Khawaja was the beneficiary, given a reprieve on 38 midway through the second session when umpire Nigel Llong turned down New Zealand's boisterous appeal for caught behind off hapless spinner Mark Craig.
The Kiwis knew they had their man - and Snicko proved Khawaja had got a big top edge - but the visitors could not get the decision sent to the third umpire having already used up both reviews in attempts to get leg-before-wicket decisions.
It was the first review, in the 13th over, that was the wasted one. Tim Southee had launched into a big appeal thinking he had trapped Joe Burns in front and McCullum agreed to go through with the review, where replays clearly showed Burns got a big inside edge on to his pads.
The second review, when Trent Boult struck David Warner on the knee roll when the opener was on 78, was a close call and it was hard to fault New Zealand's use of the DRS there.
The verdict was "umpire's call", with not quite enough of the ball being deemed to be hitting the stumps to overturn umpire Sundaram Ravi's not-out call.
But the television graphic -illustrated the ball crashing into the bails - a sight that agitated retired fast bowler Brett Lee, who said, "I'm not sure why that can't be given out".
Having lost his second straight toss for the series to allow Australia captain Steve Smith to bat first on a belter of a wicket, McCullum's run of misfortune on this tour continued after his unlucky dismissal in the first Test on Monday.
McCullum was incorrectly given out on 80 at the Gabba, also by Llong, with replays confirming the ball flew off his pad before being caught by Smith in the slips cordon.
The New Zealand captain departed in the 79th over, with the Kiwis set to be handed a fresh set of two reviews just nine balls later.Former Australia captain Mark Taylor conceded Mc-Cullum copped a bad decision at the Gabba but said he had little sympathy for him because the Kiwis had used up their reviews "frivolously".