Martin Crowe gets down and dirty for Black Caps

Martin Crowe is out of the commentary box and back in the nets.

The former test great has worked individually with New Zealand batsmen Ross Taylor, Martin Guptill and Tim McIntosh recently but has donned the team tracksuit in a more official role ahead of the test against Australia starting at the Basin Reserve on Friday.

Crowe was rarely sighted under previous coaches Andy Moles and John Bracewell but was chuffed to be invited back into the fold by old chum Mark Greatbatch.

While some may query the logic of a batting coach (Greatbatch) hiring another batting coach, there is no doubt Crowe speaks with authority on his lifelong passion.

"I'm here teaching the basics of batting for long periods and what they've got to do in the white clothing," Crowe told The Dominion Post after training at the Basin yesterday.

"That's why I'm not commentating because it's pretty hard to do both. It has been a long time since I've been asked to be inside the inner sanctum, probably since my brother [Jeff] was the manager. So it's nice to come back and help out, particularly at a time when we're obviously trying to play test cricket better in this country."

Test batting is a perennial problem and the spotlight will fall in particular on the top three of McIntosh, BJ Watling and Peter Ingram, a trio who boast just 14 tests and one century between them.

"They're very receptive, they want to do well," Crowe said.

"It's all about knowledge. We're sharing knowledge, sharing our resources. At the end of the day they've got to go out there and be mentally tough and try and bat as long as they can.

"Sometimes that takes a little bit longer, takes a few more opportunities than you'd like, but that's test cricket. When you're up against the best, you're going to be tested. But they're open-minded and they're working hard."

Australia are expected to field a well-rounded attack of Doug Bollinger, Ryan Harris, Mitchell Johnson, Shane Watson and Nathan Hauritz, but it's one without the terrors posed in the McGrath-Warne era.

Crowe, who scored 5444 runs in 77 tests, said the message would be watching the ball closely, solidity in defence and playing with purpose.

"And just doing it ball after ball after ball, hour after hour."

One of his key philosophies is batsmen initially pressing forward towards the bowler.

"All the top bowlers, they try and pin you on the crease. You've got to try and counter that by getting forward to try and counter the movement, the pace, the bounce.

"And if you're forced back, you'll react, instinctively. That's always been the motto for me and for other great players who pass on that message, like Greg Chappell, around the world. Expect the full ball and react."

Ingram's lack of footwork has been hotly debated but Crowe said it was possible for him to succeed at test level, provided he at least transferred his weight correctly.

"You can't stand still and bat long periods. But it's more a mental thing for him, he just needs to be stronger and tougher on himself and really work hard at keeping out those good balls.

"We know that if he bats long enough he should have a few runs on the board."

In the one-day series, Australia frustrated Taylor, New Zealand's leading batsman, into rash cross-bat shots by drying up his boundary options.

But Crowe wasn't overly concerned.

"That's the one-day game. Test matches, you're not restricted at all, you've got all day, if not two days, to bat.

"So I would imagine that Ross will make that mental adjustment and he'll be looking to bat long periods with a lot of patience involved."

- © Fairfax NZ News