Cricket: Redemption is only two test victories away

John Bracewell is praying that the salutary lesson handed down by Australia will have a positive spin-off in time for the first test against Sri Lanka, starting on Monday.

Possibly the only consolation from New Zealand's pasting at the hands of Australia last month is that they will have a chance to partially redeem themselves in the coming two-test series against Sri Lanka - in Napier and Wellington.

The Sri Lankans have historically struggled in late-season tours of New Zealand because of the more autumnal conditions, and to compound their problems on this occasion they have not played a test since their outing in Karachi last October.

Marvan Atapattu's side were scheduled to play a test series in New Zealand over the Christmas break, but were forced to abandon the visit after the Boxing Day tsunami, and have not been involved in any international competition since.

The development raises the prospect of a fascinating duel - one team having just been pummelled beyond recognition, and the other having not played a test for the past five months.

Bracewell said if his team were going to finish their programme on a more positive note, they needed to quickly absorb the lessons from the Australian series, when they were outclassed by a clearly superior test and one-day side.

"We've had a tough month, but it should have been a hardening experience rather than a softening one," said Bracewell.

"I think we've probably got to take advantage of the fact that they might be slightly under-done. That's the edge we should be carrying in to Napier.

"We need to go into the test with a hard attitude, determined to cut down our error rate, and not let the pressure affect our inexperience."

New Zealand have never played so deep into April, a time when the prevailing conditions are likely to play into the hands of seam bowlers, and cause more uncertainty for an already gun-shy batting line-up.

However, Bracewell said far from being humiliated by last month's horror story, his players were determined to prove that they were better for the experience, rather than shell-shocked, deflated, or pessimistic.

"We'll really have to take advantage of the fact that we're match-hardened," he said. "Our guys are looking forward to it. I've heard no one talking negatively, they really want to play these games and get stuck into it."

And the New Zealand coach had some words of encouragement for besieged middle-order batsman Craig McMillan, who responded to his test axing this week with an innings of 121 for the Major Association's XI against Sri Lanka.

McMillan has been in and out of the New Zealand test and one-day set-up since being omitted from the touring party for last year's visit to Bangladesh.

Reinstated for this summer's series against Australia, he was discarded again following the second test in Wellington, leading to speculation that the New Zealand selectors had finally tired of his injudicious decision-making.

But Bracewell said that the door would always be open for a McMillan comeback.

"Craig's always going to be a member of our greater squad in the medium term." he said. "It's just a matter of guys needing to be in form at the right time, and continuing that form.

"We know that Craig is there and will be ready should we require him."