No Kane no gain for Black Caps

SIMON DOULL COLUMN

AFTER New Zealand's loss in the Chappell-Hadlee series they're going to have to bounce back in the two upcoming tests against Australia – the problem is we are playing our poorest form of the game at the moment.

We haven't done well enough to beat good opponents and this side is a very good test unit, even though it's not as capable as some of the Australian teams of the past.

The Black Caps team is announced later today and I think we've got selection problems. They need to convince Scott Styris to come back and play test matches because apart from Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor he looks the most composed of our batsmen.

They're obviously going to stick with openers BJWatling and Tim McIntosh but we have a problem at No 3.

Peter Ingram filled that role but has been found wanting in the one-dayers with his lack of footwork.

Martin Guptill could fill the slot but he scored 189 at No 5 against Bangladesh and that's where he needs to stay.

So the selectors need to find either an opener who can bat at three or blood newcomer Shanan Stewart and see how he fares.

The other possibility is to elevate Ross Taylor but I'd rather they leave him at four.

There has been a lot of talk about whether exciting 19-year-old Kane Williamson should be playing test cricket.

I'd like to see him play more first-class games. It wouldn't be surprising to see him picked as the second spinner, which would give us more batting depth.

He's obviously going to play a lot of cricket for New Zealand. It's more a question of whether baptising him against Australia is the right time to test the confidence of a player with so much promise.

He has been playing well in the Plunket Shield so perhaps he deserves a crack.

Onto the bowling. If Andy McKay is not fit we'll be stuck with guys who can continually bowl at 135-140kmh at a push. It doesn't look at this stage as if we have the attack to bowl out Australia twice.

There are many issues surrounding this series.

We're going to be tested severely and our three or four world-class guys are really going to have to do most of the work if we're to get through the series with any credibility.

I don't think Brendon McCullum should give the gloves away in test cricket because he's batting down the order so it's not too much of an ask.

In future he may look to do that at ODI and T20 level. I don't mind that because he's opening the batting and we don't lose anything by having him in the field.

In the tests he has to keep for the balance of the side.

The Aussies have got a reasonably good test squad. It's one that's still coming together but it is a winning unit.

They'll go into the series with plenty of confidence. They've got quality batsmen from the top down and some who average 45-50 in test cricket, which is what we lack.

Their issue might be getting 20 wickets if we don't gift them because they lack a real penetrative bowler – unless Mitchell Johnson is absolutely right on the day.

We've got better spinners but are our batsmen better equipped to handle their bowling attack? I guess that's the big issue.

It will be a battle between the two captains, Daniel Vettori and Ricky Ponting, because they're both their team's best players by far.

Vettori has got to win us a test with the ball at some stage. So do we produce turning pitches that break up so hopefully he can win us a test on day four or five?

I think he needs to be more positive with his strategy. There are times when you have to defend. I understand that but he could be a bit more attacking, particularly when he's bowling.

With Ponting, you have to expect a hard-nosed attitude towards winning tests.

He'll encourage his players to be aggressive on the field – not verbally but with the ball or bat in hand.

I can guarantee they'll target certain bowlers. They know there will be one or two in the New Zealand line-up with poor records against Australia compared to other countries.

It should be an interesting series.

Simon Doull is a former Black Cap

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