KEY POINTS:
Australian cricket great Steve Waugh says New Zealand can give the "mentally fatigued" home side a fright but will struggle to complete a test series upset without world-class pair Jacob Oram and Shane Bond.
Former test captain Waugh offered New Zealand fans some hope for the two-test series starting in Brisbane next Thursday as Australia try to recover from a tough 2-0 series defeat in India.
But he would have preferred to see the Black Caps at full strength.
"They'll be buoyed by Australia's results in India, and they don't have a lot of time to turn that around. [Australia] will be a bit fatigued mentally and physically after that," said Waugh yesterday.
"New Zealand have a good chance, I just feel they're missing the real quality players in Oram (back injury), who's a real loss, and Bond (playing in the Indian Cricket League).
"You can't really replace those guys. But I like the look of the side, it's a new era and Daniel Vettori's a good captain and has the respect of the players.
"They seem like they've got a good spirit and this is a great opportunity for them.
"I think New Zealand will be quietly confident that they can do well. I'm not sure they can beat Australia but I think this series will be reasonably close. I'd still expect Australia to win."
Waugh said the pressure was on captain Ricky Ponting's Australian team with little more than a week to prepare for the first test after their arrival home from India.
"It was a pretty tough tour, they were up against it and continually under pressure so they never really relaxed in four test matches. That does take it out of you."
Waugh said opener Jamie How and fellow New Zealand batsman Daniel Flynn had both impressed him while Vettori and vice-captain Brendon McCullum would have to carry the tourists' hopes.
How started his tour in a rush with 170 against NSW on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Waugh said NSW coach Matthew Mott faced a tough decision as to whether to accept the New Zealand coaching job.
Mott said this week he was "50-50" as he weighs up an offer to remain with NSW after leading them to the Sheffield Shield title in his first season.
Waugh rated Mott, 35, an excellent man manager who had all the attributes to be successful. "It's a tough call. He's been pretty smart about it because he's only relatively new to the coaching arena."
- NZPA
