A positive? Both Kane Williamson, who looked a class act yesterday, and BJ Watling have previous form for stickability.
The loss of four wickets for 16 in 26 balls late in the day left New Zealand reeling from a string of heavyweight blows, after a decent start in response to Australia's 556 for four declared.
Add in ructions to the bowling group as Neil Wagner is called into the squad in Perth as cover for Tim Southee, and New Zealand are in a squeeze.
Wagner for Southee is no like-for-like, over and above bowling with different arms.
Wagner, 29, is a wholehearted worker, happy churning out a pile of overs with a permanently aggressive mindset. His 16 tests have produced 58 wickets at 34.
His most recent test was against Sri Lanka in Christchurch last December.
Southee, however, is the spearhead, along with Trent Boult.
He was comfortably New Zealand's best bowler on a dispiriting opening day, only to pay a visit to the hospital for scans on his back on Thursday night. Five overs was all he could manage yesterday, the diagnosis an irritated disc.
"Tim will continue to be monitored and assessed over the coming days, but it's important we have all of our bases covered," coach Mike Hesson said.
Wagner is the obvious choice. Other candidates, such as Central Districts' pair Adam Milne and Ben Wheeler, both limited-overs internationals, are uncapped in tests, one recovering from shin problems, the other sidelined by a back issue.
By the end of the day, it wasn't Southee who was occupying New Zealand minds as much as the batsmen.
For a time things went along comfortably enough, as Tom Latham and Martin Guptill got to 56 in response to Australia's 556 for four declared.
After Guptill departed, Latham and Kane Williamson moved things along before the walls caved in.
Latham, who had been tidy, lobbed a catch to point on 47; Ross Taylor, well out of sorts, made a duck; Brendon McCullum edged low to first slip and Jimmy Neesham was bowled off his pads as Mitchell mania took over - Messrs Starc and Johnson splitting the four wickets.
Through the carnage, Williamson was unflappable and highly impressive, and will today be eyeing an 11th test century.
He peeled off a string of quality strokes, twice putting Johnson back down the ground with classy drives, and he looked secure, which is the last word you could use for the middle order.
Earlier Usman Khawaja made the most of his maiden test hundred, getting to 174 before his dismissal prompted a declaration.
Khawaja and Adam Voges, two players under the spotlight, produced an emphatic performance to ally any concerns over batting vulnerabilities.
Good points for Australia to savour. New Zealand wouldn't mind some right now.
The Southee-less attack, a quality first spell from Trent Boult aside, was simply brushed aside; too many of the batsmen not up to the task when the heat went on.
Scoreboard
Australia
First innings
J Burns c Watling b Southee 71
D Warner c Taylor b Neesham 163
U Khawaja c Guptill b Williamson 174
S Smith b Boult 48
A Voges not out 83
Extras (7lb 4w 6nb) 17
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Total (for 4wkts dec, 130.2 overs) 556
Fall: 1/161, 2/311, 3/399, 4/556.
Bowling: T Southee 24-8-70-1 (2nb), T Boult 29-3-127-1, D Bracewell 27-3-107-0 (1w 3nb), M Craig 31-3-156-0, J Neesham 11-1-50-1 (3w 1nb), K Williamson 8.2-0-39-1.
New Zealand
First innings
M Guptill c Warner b Hazlewood 23
T Latham c Lyon b Starc 47
K Williamson not out 55
R Taylor c Smith b Johnson 0
B McCullum c Voges b Johnson 6
J Neesham b Starc 3
B Watling not out 14
Extras (2lb 1w 6nb) 9
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Total (for 5 wkts, 45 overs) 157
Fall: 1/56, 2/102, 3/105, 4/114, 5/118.
Bowling: M Starc 10-4-30-2 (1w 2nb), M Johnson 12-2-52-2 (1nb), J Hazlewood 12-2-33-1 (1nb), N Lyon 8-2-22-0, M Marsh 3-0-18-0 (2nb).
