Agro Aussies against cordial Kiwis. The first trans-Tasman test cricket series in four years has been pitched in a way that earned Brendon McCullum's New Zealand lineup the tag of the "politest" team in the international game.
Steve Smith, preparing for his first series as test captain, makes no excuses for a hard nose approach to cricket that comes with the Australian job.
A comment McCullum made in a newspaper column about one of Smith's decisions during Australia's recent tour to England set off some acrimony this week, but both captains have played it down. They came to a resolution while participating in a ceremony to mark 100 years since the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps came together in war.
"We're good. We had a little catch up to lay a wreath for the ANZACs and I think it's a really important test match for us as well, celebrating the Anzacs, so we've invited the New Zealand team in for a drink after the game," Smith said, stipulating that it'll be a once-off until the conclusion of the series.
"No hard feelings," he said of McCullum's comments. "They've come over and they're playing that nice guy act again, but we are going to continue to play the hard aggressive brand that we play so well."
Australia hasn't lost a test match at the Gabba in Brisbane since 1988, and has only ever lost three tests at home to the New Zealanders. The first of those was 30 years ago, when Richard Hadlee took nine wickets in the first innings and 15 for the match at the Gabba in 1985. Hadlee took another 11-wicket haul in the third test in Perth to clinch New Zealand's only test series win ever in Australia.
Bilateral exchanges haven't been as frequent since, the last being in 2011 when New Zealand lost the opener but levelled a two-match series with an unexpected seven-run win in Hobart.
Under McCullum's leadership, the New Zealanders have improved as a combination and have won high praise for a high-risk, high-reward game plan. In the one-day arena, New Zealand beat Australia in a thrilling but low-scoring World Cup group match in Auckland earlier this year but later lost a lopsided final to the Australians.
Smith's lineup should start as favourite, given Australia's imposing record at home, but is the less settled of the teams. Smith deputized as captain in the Brisbane test against India last year but only took the job full-time following Michael Clarke's retirement in August. Opener Chris Rodgers, allrounder Shane Watson and wicketkeeper Brad Haddin have also retired, leaving inexperienced Joe Burns and Usman Khawaja to return to the top order and Peter Nevill to keep wickets.
That leaves a heavier burden than usual on Smith, who has decided to bat down one spot at No. 4, and the bowling spearheads Mitchell Johnson and Mitch Starc.
Meanwhile Hadlee, in town to mark the 30th anniversary of what he described as his career peak performance, said Tim Southee and Trent Boult should be regarded as New Zealand's best ever new ball combination and predicted Kane Williamson would end his career as the country's best ever batsman.
With McCullum's flair and Ross Taylor's batting experience, the New Zealand squad is well balanced. So the convivial approach is working for them, even if it unsettles rival teams.
"We don't expect everyone to play the way that we do," McCullum said. "It sort of grew organically — for a long time we were searching for a bit of a soul about our team and in the end we stumbled on the fact that sledging has never worked for us — we're not very good at it — and also we're not skilled enough to be able to take our eyes off the ball and be focused on other things."
Doug Bracewell, who took a match-winning 6-40 in New Zealand's win over the Australians in 2011, was selected over Matt Henry to support Boult and Southee, the left-right swing bowling combination.
With pace and bounce expected, Australia recalled Josh Hazlewood at the expense of Peter Siddle to complement the left-arm pace of Johnson and Starc.
Lineups:
Australia: David Warner, Joe Burns, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith (captain), Adam Voges, Mitchell Marsh, Peter Nevill, Mitchell Johnson, Mitch Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.
New Zealand: Tom Latham, Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Brendon McCullum (captain), James Neesham, BJ Watling, Mark Craig, Doug Bracewell, Tim Southee, Trent Boult.
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