First Test: New Zealand vs. Australia, Friday, February 12, 8.30am AEDT, Basin Reserve, Wellington, New Zealand, Watch on Fox Sports
Second Test: Saturday, February 20, 8.30am AEDT, Hagley Oval, Christchurch
Our tips:
James Pattinson top wicket taker for Australia ($3.50 with CrownBet.com.au)
Kane Williamson top run scorer for New Zealand ($3.25 with Sportsbet.com.au)
HE’S only played two days of cricket in the past month, but firebrand Aussie paceman says he is ready to tear into the New Zealanders in the first test, starting on Friday.
The gun paceman, who has been the Australian’s ($2.25 with CrownBet.com.au) spearhead during the rare occasions injury hasn’t kept him off the park, has missed all forms of cricket since he suffered shin soreness during the Aussie’s white wash of the West Indies some months ago.
But the 25 year old was back on the park last week, playing two days of cricket for the Victorian Bushrangers in a Sheffield Shield match with Tasmania.
He bowled 21.3 overs over those two days, snaring the solid, if a little run heavy, figures of 3/81, and said his body was “feeling good” after the hit out, which he left early to travel to New Zealand ($2.65 with Sportsbet.com.au) (Draw is $4.15).
“I was a bit rusty early on but I hit my straps in the second innings,” Pattinson said.
“I’m feeling good, I had no problem bowling (in the shield game) after not really having much bowling leading into it.
“I’m really happy with the way my body pulled up and I’m just looking forward to getting into New Zealand.
“I got a good hit out so I think the selectors and medical staff are pretty happy with where I’m at.
“We’ve got some great bowlers for the conditions and it’s going to be pretty tough to get into the (first test XI),” Pattinson said.
“The conditions are going to be different over there.
“It’s great to see Chadd Sayers is in (the Test squad) after performing really well in domestic cricket for the last few years.
“Jackson Bird’s a class bowler – I’m sure the conditions will suit him.”
Pattinson has played just the two tests against the Kiwis, way back in 2011, but he destroyed them on debut with 5/27.
He boasts and impressive record of 14 wickets at 14 against the Black Caps.
We just feel like the up and coming, but injury plagued seamer is actually the quickest and most talented of the international team’s young brigade and he does have the capacity to swing the ball, although it is still a craft he is learning.
All the bowlers are going to be assisted by these decks, but, with plenty of pace and movement expected, we feel like Patto is the best equipped Aussie bowler to take full toll.
We’re backing him in to rip through the New Zealanders and take the most wickets for the Aussies in the first innings.
Patto was the equal leading wicket taker in the Windies series with 13, along with spinner Nathan Lyon, but he will have to contend with a far better batting line up, which is more in tune with its home conditions in New Zealand.
The chieftain in that super batting line up is gun Kane Williamson.
No Australian involved in the the three test Trans Tasman series will forget what he did to them last year.
Williamson banged a pair of centuries on his way to 428 runs, at 85.6. His 166 came in a partnership of 265 with Ross Taylor at the WACA that shattered Kiwi records, becoming the largest stand between two New Zealand batsmen.
This man is the Rolls Royce of batting.
Men wish they could be like him, but few can compare to his talents.
In 2015, Wiliamson struck 1172 test runs, at the remarkable average of 90, with three tons and four half centuries, including an unbeaten 242 against Sri Lanka.
He has 500 runs in five tests against the Aussies, and will be looking to pile on even more, after not going all that well in the one day series.
We’re backing him in to bounce back in the longer form of the game, where he has been nothing short of dominant in the past 12 months.
Just watch him put the Aussie bowlers to the sword and enjoy some of the most majestic stroke play you will see from a batsmen any where in the world.
Speaking of the one day series, the Aussies will have some revenge on their mind after losing the three match Chappell Hadlee one day series 2-1.
And captain Steve Smith says his side will enjoy the opportunity to spend more time at the wicket, even though New Zealand are set to roll out green tops to cater for their gun swing attack.
“Going from one day cricket to Test cricket now, the guys have got a lot more time to spend out in the middle so it’s about reining it in and making sure we have our defence in order for what we’re likely to come up against.
”I haven’t seen (the Basin Reserve pitch) yet, but the wicket could have quite a bit of grass on it.
“And we haven’t done so well against the moving ball in the last year, so we’ve got a bit of work to do there.
”We have to find a way to be successful in these conditions.
“It’s completely different to back home.”
The Kiwis have had a hiccup of their own, gun all rounder Mitchell Santner, who announced his arrival in the Chappell Hadlee series, will miss the first test through injury, with Mark Craig replacing him in the squad.
“It’s one of those things that if we continue to play him, it could turn into a far longer injury,” New Zealand coach Mike Hesson said.
“Hopefully we’ve got it early enough.”
Regardless of who steps out for the Kiwis, expect them to relish the chance to hone their swing craft on the seaming wickets.
“I think the wickets will be different, they’ll probably have a bit more of a tinge of green to them,” outgoing captain Brendon McCullum said.
“There should be plenty of sideways movement and I expect probably a little bit more pace and bounce than what we’ve seen in the one day wickets.
”It’s going to be a pretty exciting series.
“Everyone’s pretty excited about what’s in front of us and on the back of this (Chappell-Hadlee) series and the crowds that we’ve seen turn up, so I think it’s going to be a cracking Test series.”
We can’t wait for it either. Good luck with your punting picks.
Test squads
New Zealand:
Brendon McCullum (captain), Tom Latham, Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson, Henry Nicholls, Corey Anderson, BJ Watling, Luke Ronchi, Mark Craig, Doug Bracewell, Tim Southee, Matt Henry, Neil Wagner, Trent Boult
Australia:
Steve Smith (captain), Dave Warner (vice captain), Jackson Bird, Joe Burns, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Peter Nevill, James Pattinson, Chadd Sayers, Peter Siddle, Adam Voges
