With the summer of cricket on home soil drawing to a close on Sunday evening, Australia now hop a plane across the ditch for a three one day internationals, and two Test matches against New Zealand, with both the Chappell-Hadlee trophy and the Trans Tasman trophy going on the line respectively.
New Zealand have played plenty of one-day cricket in recent times, defeating Sri Lanka three games to one in a five match-series, and Pakistan two games to zero in a three-game series, with one wash-out in each.
While Sri Lanka and Pakistan aren’t the calibre of Australia, they are strong, and New Zealand will go into this home ODI series feeling confident.
Australia have had limited ODI cricket this summer, with just five games against India, in a series taken by the Aussies four games to one.
Incredibly – or maybe rather ridiculously – the last time Australia and New Zealand met in a one-day series was 2010. That time New Zealand avenged a 5-0 defeat from the 2009 summer to win 5-0.
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Both teams have named their squads, and it’s shaping up as an even battle.
On pitches that offered little for bowlers, it was difficult to assess which Australians should be getting on the plane to New Zealand after the series against India. While the batting order seems relatively locked down, with the likes of David Warner, Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell and the Marsh brothers, the bowling was a different issue.
James Faulkner struggled for form but is still in New Zealand. Kane Richardson was an obvious inclusion, as was Josh Hazlewood who returns after being rested. Serious questions though remain over Scott Boland and Adam Zampa, the latter having been selected as the only front-line spinner.
Australia’s Josh Hazlewood celebrates taking the wicket of England’s Ian Bell. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
And in conditions that are expected to swing, how much will the Aussies miss Mitchell Starc?
New Zealand have named a squad largely unchanged from the one that trumped Pakistan.
Brendon McCullum returns for his farewell series and will partner Martin Guptill, who has been in cracking form. With no Ross Taylor or Tim Southee, Trent Boult is under added pressure, meaning Adam Milne and Doug Bracewell must stand up.
Kane Williamson also will have a huge role to play in steadying the middle order.
In the Test match arena, the teams met this summer, with Australia taking the series two-nil. Before that though, we have to go right back to 2010 and 2011 for the last series between the teams. Two Test matches were played in each country during that period, with each team winning their home games to claim a series each.
One of the common themes across both series is going to be the pressure on Australian captain Steve Smith. This is his hardest task so far since taking over leadership of Australian cricket, and the pressure could affect his performance.
Australia’s squad for the Test series has seen some changes in the bowling ranks. Steve O’Keefe has been dropped as Australia opt for the one spinner – Nathan Lyon – while Chadd Sayers and Jackson Bird have both been called up to the squad. Chances are that the attack will be Peter Siddle, James Pattinson and Josh Hazlewood though.
While New Zealand haven’t named a squad yet, Taylor is set to miss out with injury.
Since Australia hosted New Zealand , both teams have played three Test matches. Australia hosted the West Indies and won that series in an absolute canter, but the Black Caps are completely different opponents, in a very different set of conditions.
New Zealand returned home to take on Sri Lanka and dominated, but again, it was a very different level of opponent than what they will face when Australia tour.
What will be in the back of both teams’ minds is the demolition job Australia produced just a few months ago, winning the Gabba and Adelaide Tests, while drawing at the WACA. A 2-0 series result, where New Zealand only really took the challenge to the Australian side after the series, or each match was gone.
The first thing the Kiwis have to do is combat the threat of the Australian top order – Warner and Smith in particular, but Joe Burns and Usman Khawaja both scored runs against them in the Australian home series – and to do this, they must use the conditions to their advantage. Trent Boult and Tim Southee have to bowl with pace, certainly more than what they did in Australia, accuracy and most importantly swing. Getting the ball to talk is often the best way to get rid of the Australian top order.
It is set up to be an enthralling series, a battle between bat and ball, and neither team have any reason to believe they are going to lose.
Full fixtures (All times AEDT)
First One Day International: Wednesday 3rd February, 12pm – Eden Park, Auckland
Second One Day International: Saturday 6th February, 12pm – Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington
Third One Day International: Monday 8th February, 12pm – Seddon Park, Hamilton
First Test Match: Friday 12th – Tuesday 16th February, 8:30am – Basin Reserve, Wellington
Second Test Match: Saturday 20th – Wednesday 24th February, 8:30am – Hagley Oval, ChristchurchNew Zealand One Day International squad
Brendon McCullum (c), Corey Anderson, Trent Boult, Doug Bracewell, Grant Elliott, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, Henry Nicholls, Luke Ronchi (wk), Mitchell Santner, Kane Williamson, Tom Latham
New Zealand Test Match squad
Not yet announced.
Australian One Day International squad
Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), George Bailey, Scott Boland, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, John Hastings, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Matthew Wade, Adam Zampa
Australian Test Match squad
Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Jackson Bird, Joe Burns, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Peter Nevill, Peter Siddle, James Pattinson, Chadd Sayers, Adam Voges
So, how is this one going to play out? Well, both teams have been incredibly strong in the one-day arena in recent seasons, so it is a tough one to tip. The Kiwis have players that can rip the game away in a matter of overs, and the loss of Starc for Australia is a big one. At home, it is hard to go past New Zealand in the One Day series.
The Test Matches though are a completely different story. It comes down to New Zealand’s opening bowlers, Tim Southee and Trent Boult, against Australia’s top order. If the likes of David Warner, Steve Smith, Joe Burns and Usman Khawaja can combat the swinging ball, then Australia go along way towards victory. Josh Hazlewood will have a massive role to play, and it is hard to see New Zealand’s top order standing up against the Australian attack.
It could well be a drawn two-Test series.
Don’t forget The Roar will have live scores, coverage, expert analysis, and video highlights of every day’s play throughout the series.
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