Renowned for being a nervous wreck at the crease, Marsh top-scored with 49 under immense pressure as Australia reeled in their target of 187 late on day three at Adelaide Oval.

“He would have liked to be there at the end but he played really well,” Smith said.

“It’s great to see him score runs in his first game back.”

Smith and David Warner both fell in Sunday’s middle session, while the hosts slipped to 4-115 when Adam Voges was out edging in the second over after dinner.

Batting together for the first time in a Test, the Marsh brothers’ stand of 46 runs looked to have iced the game.

The hosts required another 26 runs when Kane Williamson held a skied catch to dismiss Mitch Marsh.

Shaun Marsh clammed up and was out edging to Trent Boult when his side needed a further 11 runs.

There were two runs required when Mitchell Starc surprisingly hobbled out, Peter Nevill having become Boult’s fifth victim.

“It was certainly a very tense finish. Thankfully we were on the right side,” Smith said.

“The whole Test was a great innovation. A great spectacle. To get 123,000 people through the gates in three days is absolutely amazing.”

Peter Siddle eventually got his side over the line at 8.46pm local time, stroking a ball past point as Starc limped through for the winning runs.

“I was trying to hit a boundary,” Siddle said.

The pink ball delivered a total attendance of 123,736 plus a spike in TV ratings and no shortage of twists and turns in an enthralling contest.

Josh Hazlewood was named man of the match after grabbing match figures of 9-136, the best haul of his 12-Test career.

Runs were at a premium throughout – not since 1993 has there been an Adelaide Test without a ton.

The topsy-turvy nature of the struggle continued on Sunday, when NZ were bowled out for 208 after resuming at 5-116.

Warner, named man of the series on account of his 592 runs, scored freely after tea as Australia rocketed to 0-34 after 5.2 overs.

But when Joe Burns was plumb lbw it gave the visitors a sniff.

NZ then dismissed Warner and Smith in the space of eight balls, putting Australia’s misfiring middle order under the pump again.

Shaun Marsh was tentative early, having started his sixth stint in the Test side with a calamitous run-out in a first-dig collapse of 6-53.

The 32-year-old, likely on his last chance with the national side, settled in a 49-run stand with Voges.

NZ were still seething about third umpire Nigel Llong’s error on day two, which helped Nevill, Nathan Lyon and Starc add a further 106 runs to Australia’s cause.

“Everyone witnessed what happens. It’s unfortunate it did have a bearing on the game,” Brendon McCullum said.

McCullum declared day-night Tests were here to say.

“Which is great,” he said.

“It certainly asked some different questions … it’s a great concept.”

Australia finish 2-0 winners in the three-Test series.

The two sides play a two-Test series in New Zealand in February.

AAP