Aussies see through Basin's green monster

Confronted by an emerald green pitch when they arrived at Basin Reserve for their official team photo early on Wednesday morning, and with none of their 14-man player group boasting prior Test experience in New Zealand, the Australians could have been excused for being a tad apprehensive.

But reassurances from an unexpected source at an even more unlikely venue have helped to allay their skittishness about a batting minefield ahead of the tomorrow’s start of the two-Test series against New Zealand at Wellington.

Even though he’s been a key member of the Basin’s ground staff for barely six months, Todd Heinrich has been involved in the preparation of enough pitches at the bucolic venue to know that appearances can be deceptive.

Quick Single: Bird the word for first Test in NZ

And that’s the message the former Adelaide Oval employee – whose tenure at one of Australian cricket’s foremost cricket venues began shortly after Nathan Lyon abandoned the curators’ tools for a career as a Test off-spinner – shared with the touring team.

When he was among the invited guests at Wednesday night’s formal reception at the residence of Australia’s new High Commissioner in New Zealand, Peter Woolcott.

Despite the distinctly green tinge that peeked from beneath the hessian cover – in place to retain moisture in the Test strip as Wellington enjoys a rare, prolonged stint of still and sun-baked weather – ground staff at the Basin believe it will yield a fair contest between bat and ball.

With batting to be most problematic in the first session or two of tomorrow’s opening day, as it should be in the Test format.

Quick Single: Marsh looking to improve on Ashes

It’s an assessment shared by Australia coach Darren Lehmann who described the pitch in his blog for cricket.com.au as “nice and level” and by opener David Warner who predicted the ball was likely to move more pronouncedly through the air than off the pitch.

“Even though it's got a lot of grass on it, it might move around a little bit with the new ball,” said Australia fast bowling coach Craig McDermott who, along with batting coach Greg Blewett and selection chair Rod Marsh, are the only members of the touring party to have played a Test at the Basin.

“But rye grass has the tendency to flatten out a little bit quite quickly, as we've seen with the nets here.

“Hopefully it will be a good cricket wicket to start off with the first few days and I can see it being pretty flat after that, I reckon.”

Black Caps skipper Brendon McCullum, who knocked up his nation’s highest Test score of 302 when he batted at the Basin two years ago, forecast that whichever captain wins the toss tomorrow will be sorely tempted to bowl first.

McCullum prepares for his 100th Test

That is despite a weather forecast that shows no trace of the low, heavy cloud that regularly skids across the harbour city or the blustery, often maddening winds that howl through the over-sized traffic roundabout on which Basin Reserve is situated.

“I imagine the wicket will dry out a little bit quicker than what we’ve seen in the past, but I think the first couple of days will be challenging,” McCullum said today, alluding to the sunny forecast for the Test’s duration which is the reason why a healthy mat of grass has been maintained on the playing surface.

“It does offer generous seam and swing for the bowlers early on.

“We’ve batted first on it before and gone on to win Test matches.

“But if you are batting first you’ve just got to hang in there, try and get yourself a score that’s competitive.

“It’s not going to be 500-600, but then the third and fourth innings is where things start to take shape.”

Australia’s recent shortcomings against the swinging, seaming ball – most glaringly exposed in Nottingham last year when were bowled out for 60 in less than a session – have prompted countless questions about the top-order’s capacity to combat NZ new-ball pair Tim Southee and Trent Boult.

In answer to one of those queries today, Australia captain Steve Smith acknowledged his team has “got a bit to prove” to show the lessons of England have been well learned, and the aspiration of winning this series to claim the world’s number one Test ranking can be realised.

"There is a bit of a grass on it at this stage,” Smith said, declining to subscribe to McCullum’s view that it was unarguably a ‘bowl first’ pitch.

“I'll wait and see until tomorrow, see if there's anything different with it there.

“But I think traditionally the wickets here (in New Zealand) don't play quite as bad as they look.”

For the fourth time in the past five Tests, Australia will employ a revamped pace bowling attack with Jackson Bird recalled for his first Test since the 2013 Ashes tour to the UK in place of injury-plagued quick James Pattinson.

Pattinson has been struggling to regain full fitness after suffering shin soreness in the wake of the New Year Test against the West Indies in Sydney, and he was restricted to a limited workload in his return Sheffield Shield match for Victoria last week to ensure there was no recurrence.

But that has proved a double-edged sword, with his lack of competitive bowling convincing the selectors and Smith that he might struggle to get through a full five days of Test cricket – especially if the Basin Reserve flattens out at the back end of the game as is expected.

So even though he bowled with good pace and rhythm in the practice nets at Wellington earlier this week, it was decided that Bird – who is expected to revel in the conditions should Australia have first use of the ball – was the preferred option.

“We're better off giving him (Pattinson) another eight or nine days to see whether he can get through the second Test match (at Christchurch next week), McDermott said today.

“He's had a number of injuries and we want to make sure we give him every chance to be one hundred per cent when he does get on the park for Australia.

“The last time I saw (Bird) bowl we were on tour in South Africa (in 2014) and I thought he came along quite nicely through that tour.

“He's bowled well this year and put his nose in front of some other blokes, obviously there's been a lot of injuries as well.

“It's a good opportunity for him to put his hand up for this Test match and get a few more after that.”

Smith echoed McDermott’s summation, adding that Bird’s form in the practice nets during yesterday’s lengthy pre-Test training session had impressed him.

“I saw him bowl yesterday and I think he's bowling with quite good pace, hitting a good area and swinging the ball and swinging it late which is a great attribute to have,” Smith said today.

“If he gets the ball in the right areas in this Test match I think he can do a bit of damage.

“He runs in all day, he’s quite tall so he hits the bat a little bit higher than you think.”