Cricket: Bracewell - it's the best XI we've got

Craig McMillan, the most at-risk test player. But coach John Bracewell says: "You have to keep picking the ones who you know can score." Picture / Fotopress

Not for the first time this season, New Zealand coach John Bracewell has been moved to defend his selection policies, this time from criticism that he should have rung the changes after the heavy loss in Christchurch.

Bracewell this week named an unchanged line-up for the second test at Wellington, in the process rejecting suggestions that he should have dropped some of the worst-performed players and introduced new blood into the ranks.

New Zealand crashed and burned on the fourth day of the opening test at Christchurch, following a characteristic and terminal batting collapse that saw the hosts bowled out in their second innings for a mere 131.

But Bracewell emphasised yesterday that it was no time to throw greenhorns into the mix for the second test, given the quality of the opposition and the inexperience of the few remaining contenders.

"We haven't changed the side because we think this is the best side available - it's as simple as that," Bracewell said yesterday.

"We're not a team who can just dip into a bottomless pit and pick out cricketers all over the place and throw them in against Australia."

He also leapt to the defence of the most at-risk member of the squad, Craig McMillan, who has played 14 test innings since the start of last summer but has managed to average only a miserable 18.46, while passing 50 just once.

"There's always concern about guys who haven't scored many runs, but you have to keep picking the ones who you know can score and I think Craig's record shows that he can," Bracewell said.

"You have to remember that he's still averaging 40 [38.70] in test cricket."

Crippled by an extraordinary run of injuries, New Zealand have few options left in terms of potential replacements, although Bracewell would have taken note of the recent State Championship performances from Jesse Ryder and Peter Fulton, both of whom posted double-centuries in the past week.

Apart from them, there has been sporadic support for a call-up for Central Districts opener Jamie How, and some even more haphazard talk about a possible promotion for How's team-mate Ross Taylor.

However, Bracewell wouldn't hear of plunging inexperienced and young players in against Australia, suggesting he would be doing both the respective players and the New Zealand team a disservice by panicking.

"Jesse Ryder scored a double-century which was great to see, but it's his only score this year. It's good to see him back in form. He's an exceptionally talented cricketer who needs to score consistent runs to build his confidence."

The other headache for Bracewell this week will be the problem of New Zealand's fourth day capitulations, something that has been highlighted during his term by last season's collapse against Pakistan, the three-nil whitewash in England, a woeful 76 at Brisbane last November, and this week's setback.

In fact, in the 13 tests New Zealand have played under Bracewell's control, the side has averaged a respectable 422.5 in the first innings, but has undone most of the good work by averaging just 190.0 in their completed second innings.

To make matters worse, Bracewell's side has (apart from the Bangladesh matches) succeeded in dismissing their opposition in the second innings only once under his watch - against South Africa during last summer's historic win at Eden Park.

* Second test Basin Reserve, Wellington, starting Friday