THE significance of the occasion will not be lost on Ricky Ponting. As other nations ponder an assault on the Test crown, Ponting is aware anything short of a strong, resounding message against New Zealand from today will imbue the chasing peloton with hope that Australia's cricket empire is crumbling.
The 2-0 series defeat in India highlighted a number of deficiencies in Australia's game, most notably the fragility of the bowling attack when Brett Lee and Stuart Clark are short of peak form. Both pacemen will be presented with a green-topped path to redemption this week in the form of a juicy Gabba wicket, and a bag of New Zealand wickets will go some way to aura restoration. A failure to launch, on the other hand, could prove damaging to team confidence on the eve of crucial series against South Africa and England.
The Australians should have few troubles in accounting for a seventh-ranked New Zealand side humbled by NSW last week, although the heavy conditions in Brisbane should assist the Black Caps' armada of swing bowlers. Whichever team bats first this morning can expect a torrid few hours, and a failure to negotiate the difficult, seaming conditions could go some way to determining the outcome of the first Test.
"I would expect us to win the series, whether that's 2-0 or 1-0," Ponting said. "I have a lot of confidence in this group. Sure, we're smack bang in the middle of a rebuilding phase, and a lot of our players are still developing and working out ways to be successful at Test level, which I think was highlighted a lot in India. There's still an exciting period for me as a captain of the side to see some of these younger guys coming on, and I know there's a great challenge that lies ahead for the whole team to try and forge an identity for itself as a very good cricket team, and that's what we need to do."
With Andrew Symonds confirmed in the starting XI, the Australians will decide this morning which of Jason Krejza or Shane Watson will fill the final bowling spot. Krejza appears the warm favourite to play, given Andrew Hilditch's preference to play a specialist spinner on any surface short of a minefield, making an unlucky loser of Watson after his strong tour of India.
New Zealand, too, have their selection issues, with captain Daniel Vettori yesterday suggesting they were leaning towards playing an extra batsman, most likely Grant Elliott, at the expense of Tim Southee. Vettori hoped the inclusion of Elliott would go some way to shoring up New Zealand's brittle top-order batting in their quest to defeat Australia in a Test series for the first time since 1985-86.
"It's something we've been crying out for for a long, long time," he said. " Trying to get our top six past the 300 mark, unless you do that, you have no chance against Australia. It's asking a lot from an inexperienced guy, but I think we have the talent to do it."
Though much of the focus this week has been on the selection duel between Symonds and Watson, the performance of Australia's pacemen will go furthest to determining the overall strength of the side. Ponting made a point of sitting with Lee and Clark this week, outlining tactics and expectations ahead of a series pivotal to the confidence of the rebuilding side.
A bowler-led victory will settle nerves after a torrid Indian campaign. A draw or defeat, though, will ensure Ponting's team the ignominy of becoming the first Australian team in 20 years to go winless in five consecutive Tests. THE TEAMS AUSTRALIA (likely): R Ponting (c), M Clarke (vc), M Hayden, S Katich, M Hussey, A Symonds, B Haddin, B Lee, M Johnson, S Clark, J Krejza, S Watson (12th).
NEW ZEALAND (likely):
D Vettori (c), B McCullum (vc), J How, A Redmond,
J Ryder, R Taylor, D Flynn,
G Elliott, K Mills, I O'Brien,
C Martin, T Southee (12th).
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