KEY POINTS:
BRISBANE - Everyone is writing New Zealand off in Thursday's first cricket test, and even vice-captain Brendon McCullum admits it doesn't look good on paper.
The term "lambs to the slaughter" has been popular, while a local television reporter cut straight to the chase as McCullum faced the
media today.
"Mate, the experts are tipping you blokes to get flogged..."
Australia have won four of the last five tests against New Zealand by big margins, a rain-affected draw in Wellington in the previous trans-Tasman series in 2005 excepted.
On rankings it's a one-horse race, with Australia still No 1 after their 0-2 defeat in India while New Zealand remained seventh after back-to-back series defeats to England then a 1-0 struggle against Bangladesh.
But McCullum was quick to promote the line raised yesterday by paceman Kyle Mills that despite the side's youth, there was no fear.
"It was always going to be the case (being written off). There's such a big gulf in terms of what Australia's achieved and what we've achieved in the last little while in test cricket," McCullum said.
"From that perspective there's probably no reason why people would think it would be an even contest.
"We're at long odds but also there's nothing to lose. You'll probably see guys play with a lot less fear than what we have done in the past.
"When you are such rank outsiders you can throw can almost throw a little bit more caution to the wind.
"With fewer battle scars in our squad than what we had in the past, that's pretty exciting as well.
"Guys aren't as fearful of the Australian team as what we have in the past because we haven't got the experience and played them a lot as a team."
Openers Jamie How and Aaron Redmond and fellow batsmen Jesse Ryder, Ross Taylor and Daniel Flynn have never played a test against Australia.
McCullum, who said he would be fit to keep wicket despite some pain in his back, said an obvious bonus was the fact the hosts are without their retired big-three of Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Adam Gilchrist who terrorised New Zealand for much of the past decade.
Ricky Ponting's leadership has been questioned in Australia, but McCullum said they were still the toughest unit in world cricket.
"In comparison to the old Australian they're definitely more vulnerable. It's the nature of losing three once in a lifetime cricketers.
"They're more vulnerable but they're still by far and away the best team in the world. They lost one series and they're been ridiculed in the paper for it, but in our minds they're still by far and away the best team in the world, and the toughest challenge."
The rain continued in Brisbane today and both sides trained indoors. The covers remained on the Gabba pitch, suggesting a bowler-friendly first day.
Batting is where McCullum says it will be won and lost for New Zealand, coming off a six-wicket defeat against New South Wales where they could only manage 522 runs in two innings on a lifeless pitch.
New Zealand were still mulling over their best lineup but is still appeared Peter Fulton had the inside running to bolster the batting in place of paceman Tim Southee, with allrounder Grant Elliott also in the frame.
"Bangladesh and NSW wasn't ideal but we've got to look forward, we can't be looking back. We've got to work out a way how we're going to get big runs from our top six.
"The only way to beat Australia is if you pile on runs in your top-six, England and India have done it in the past few years and that's why their bowlers were so potent, because they had huge numbers posted by their top-six batsmen."
- NZPA
