All You Need To Know for the #AUSvNZ Tests

When is it?

The three-match Domain Test Series against New Zealand starts on Thursday, December 12, in Perth, as the state-of-the-art Western Australian venue hosts day-night Test cricket for the first time.

It will be the second time Australia has played back-to-back day-night Tests – they played South Africa and Pakistan under lights in 2016 – and this match with New Zealand follows the rout of Pakistan in Adelaide.

The marquee festive season Test matches follow in Melbourne, for the Boxing Day Test, and Sydney, for the New Year's pink Test in early January.

First Test: December 12-16, Perth Stadium (Seven, Fox & Kayo)

Second Test: December 26-30, MCG (Seven, Fox & Kayo)

Third Test: January 3-7, SCG (Seven, Fox & Kayo)

Session times (local time)

First Test in Perth: 1pm - 3pm | 3.40pm - 5.40pm | 6pm - 8pm (add three hours for AEDT)

Second Test in Melbourne: 10.30am - 12.30pm | 1.10pm - 3.10pm | 3.30pm - 5.30pm

Third Test in Sydney: 10.30am - 12.30pm | 1.10pm - 3.10pm | 3.30pm - 5.30pm

How to watch on TV in Australia

As with the matches against Pakistan, Test cricket will continue on Channel Seven, with every day of the series on free-to-air television with the likes of Ricky Ponting and Damien Fleming leading their commentary team.

For fans with a subscription to Foxtel, the series will be broadcast on the dedicated Fox Cricket channel, with no ads during play. It will also be available in 4K definition for those with the necessary equipment. Fox boast a commentary team featuring Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne and Brett Lee.

How to stream online in Australia

For online viewers, every ball will be streamed live through cricket.com.au and the CA Live app with a Kayo subscription. Available with a 14-day free trial, a Kayo subscription gives you streaming access to every men's international Test, ODI and T20 international played in Australia, every BBL and WBBL match, all women's internationals on home soil and the final of the Marsh Sheffield Shield.

Kayo will also stream Australia's ODI tour of India in mid-January, and the limited overs tour of South Africa in late February, as well as the home ODIs against New Zealand in March.

It will also give access to more than 50 sports live and on demand across 180 competitions. A monthly subscription costs $25 per month. For full details on the live streaming options, and a comprehensive FAQ, click here.

How to listen in Australia

If you can't watch or prefer listening to the radio, live coverage of the series will be provided by ABC Grandstand, Crocmedia and the Macquarie network. The audio will be streamed via cricket.com.au and the CA Live app, or tune in through your local station.

How to follow from New Zealand and abroad

The Australia-New Zealand Test series will be broadcast live by Sky Sport NZ for fans across the Tasman.

Fans abroad can watch via BT Sport in the UK, on the Sony Pictures Network in India and the subcontinent outside of Pakistan, where fans can watch on Ten Sports.

For a full list of Cricket Australia's international broadcast partners, click here.

Everyone around the cricket world will be able to view extensive clips and highlights online through cricket.com.au and the CA Live app, as well as our YouTube channel that has now rocketed past four million subscribers.

Twilight tickets

(Perth only)

Beat the heat but still enjoy the cricket! With forecast high temperatures for the first Domain Test in Perth this week, fans can purchase twilight tickets for just $25 to watch the second and third sessions of the day. Come along from 3.20pm to 8pm local time and watch the pink ball move as the sun goes down! Click here for tickets

Day five tickets

Entry to the ground on the fifth day of all Test matches will be via a gold coin donation, with a different charity partner for each match:

Perth Test: Telethon (Foodbank WA)

Boxing Day Test: Alannah and Madeline Foundation

Pink Test: McGrath Foundation

Get to know the venues

Get the inside word on Australia's Test venues this summer with Domain, as they give the premier Test venues the real estate agent treatment in their listings, with an exclusive look behind the scenes, complete with property features like the number of bathrooms, parking spaces, kitchens, pools, dining rooms, and locker rooms.

Each venue hosting a Test match this summer – with the three against the Black Caps following on from the pair against Pakistan – has been profiled by Domain, and by fans can win a box at the MCG or the SCG this summer. For more info, click here.

World Test Championship

With the World Test Championship league structure putting 120 points up for each series, it means there's 40 points up for grabs in each Test against the Black Caps, with a draw worth 13.

Australia's 2-0 sweep of Pakistan netted them a handsome 120 points in the World Test Championship and saw them skyrocket into second place with 176 points.

The Kiwis warmed up for this series with a two-Test campaign against England that was not part of the WTC system, so they remained on the 60 points they earned for their win against Sri Lanka earlier this year.

A clean sweep in this series for Australia would vault them up to 296 points, which would still leave them second to India, who already have 360 points having won all seven of the Tests they've already played under the WTC format.

The last time they met

The last time Australia faced New Zealand in a Test series, in February 2016, a 2-0 win across the Tasman saw Australia reclaim the world No.1 ranking. That series is perhaps best remembered for Brendon McCullum's farewell Test, when he smashed a century off just 54 balls to set a new record as the fastest Test on.

The last time New Zealand travelled here for a Test tour was in November 2015, when the Aussies won 2-0 in a memorable series that threw up plenty of highlights. Joe Burns and Usman Khawaja scored their maiden Test tons on their Gabba home ground, David Warner posted a double-century at the WACA Ground before Ross Taylor eclipsed it with a score of 290, Mitchell Johnson retired from Test cricket and the first-ever day-night Test was played at the Adelaide Oval.

The squads

Australia squad: Tim Paine (c), Cameron Bancroft, Joe Burns, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner

New Zealand: Todd Astle, Tom Blundell, Trent Boult, Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, Jeet Raval, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, BJ Watling, Neil Wagner, Kane Williamson (c)

Ricky Ponting's final word

There's no better tactical analyst in the game than former Australia captain Ricky Ponting. He'll be on the airwaves for Channel Seven throughout the summer and the man described as a "visionary" by Australia coach Justin Langer will again add his unique insights exclusively for cricket.com.au on every day of the Domain Test Series.

Domain Test Series v New Zealand

Australia squad: Tim Paine (c), Joe Burns, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner.

New Zealand: Todd Astle, Tom Blundell, Trent Boult, Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, Jeet Raval, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, BJ Watling, Neil Wagner, Kane Williamson (c)

First Test: December 12-16, Perth Stadium day-night (Seven, Fox & Kayo)

Second Test: December 26-30, MCG (Seven, Fox & Kayo)

Third Test: January 3-7, SCG (Seven, Fox & Kayo)