Cricket: Black Caps ready to evoke spirit of 1985

The opportunity to return home victorious has rarely been so attainable for the NZ side.

NZ captain Kane Williamson and Australia’s Tim Paine with the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy at Perth’s Optus Stadium

The bounce may be unsettling, the Perth heat incessant and intolerable, but the opportunity to return home victorious has rarely been so attainable for the New Zealand side that kicks off the first of the three-Test series with a pink ball against Australia on Thursday.

This is the Black Caps’ best chance in Australia since Jeremy Coney’s side ambushed the locals 34 years ago.

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Had they arrived last year, when Steve Smith and David Warner were still cooling their heels as a result of the Cape Town scandal, they would have been favourites.

India made the most of that moment and, like New Zealand, they kicked off the entertainment on the west coast, but wisely avoided handing the home side the chance to mug them under lights.

Winning away is one of the hardest tasks in cricket, winning in Australia has proved particularly difficult for New Zealand sides even though there’s is the shortest of journeys, but this is a team which has knocked off England twice in the past two years and one that has assembled a solid core of talent.

Opening partners David Warner and Joe Burns prepare for the first Test

Cricinfo’s Sidarth Monga has argued with the help of statistics that this incarnation of the Kiwis — second on the ICC Test rankings ahead of Australia who are fifth — is the greatest of any era.

Over the past five years our neighbours have collected a solid set of numbers. Kane Williamson is averaging 64 with the bat, Ross Taylor 52, Tom Latham 44, BJ Watling 43 and Henry Nicholls 43.

Good teams need good bowling depth and they have it with Trent Boult (203 wickets at 27), Tim Southee (175 wickets at 28), Neil Wagner (126 wickets at 25) in the same period.

New Zealand have only won win from 22 Tests since the 1985 series, so taking a game will be a triumph of sorts.

It is not as if Australia isn’t in as equally rude form. David Warner bordered on the obscene in the series against Pakistan, Marnus Labuschagne’s back-to-back centuries were a little more demure but a signalled an intent to feast after developing an appetite for runs in England.

Having been challenged to change in the winter, Mitchell Starc has returned so improved it is going to take something untoward to put an end to the thrilling threesome he has going on with Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood.

“All the (fast bowlers) are fit, healthy, going really well,” Tim Paine said.

“We had a reasonable break in between these Tests, so I think it’s something we’ll probably look at Melbourne, Sydney, those Test matches, they’re a bit tighter together.

“Our attack’s been awesome. We’ve got a few guys here – James Pattinson, Michael Neser – that are ready to go if required.

“But at the moment the three big fellas are fit and firing.”

Black Caps coach Gary Stead says Perth would be “the most extreme conditions we will face” and that is in reference to the bounce and pace, not the predicted heat.

Greats relish the challenge, the teenage Sachin Tendulkar announced to the world he really was next level when he hit a century at the WACA in 1992. Williamson is a little longer in the tooth than the Indian was, but to succeed in conditions so radically different to home would confirm a firming suspicion about his place in the game.

Australia captain Tim Paine says the track had some challenges even for the Australians last year.

“It looks really good. Looks like it’s got a nice coverage of grass,” he said.

“Hopefully a bit of pace and bounce like we saw last year.

“I thought the Test match that was played here was outstanding to watch, very entertaining, difficult to bat on which I think makes for better Test matches a lot of the time.

“Hopefully it’s something similar and we see some pace and bounce in it like it was last year.”

Steve Smith bats in the nets in Perth

With 40 degree temperatures predicted for the first three days the atmospheric conditions will be an extraordinary challenge for the visitors and the locals.

The match starts at 1pm local time (4pm AEDT) and while the new stadium has reduced the assistance the Fremantle Doctor gave bowlers at the WACA some breeze does get in.

“We’re a professional team. Our preparation and recovery is a little bit more important,” Paine said.

“As Joe Burns touched on, we’re all Australians, we’re all used to probably barring me and ‘Wadey’ (Paine and Matthew Wade are Tasmanians).

“But it’s just part of the job now and it certainly won’t affect us.

“We thrive on these conditions. I think it can be a real advantage to us.”