David Leggat: Quality build-up - you're kidding

Mitchell Johnson of Australia appeals for a wicket during day four of the First Test match between Australia and NZ at The Gabba. Photo / Getty Images

New Zealand have maintained their preparation for the first test against Australia was good.

It wasn't.

Not by any stretch could a pink ball day-nighter against a Prime Minister's XI, a low-key two-dayer in Canberra and one-and-a-third days in the field against a Cricket Australia XI on a hopeless pitch in suburban Sydney possibly equate to quality build-up to face Australia in their Brisbane fortress.

There have been attempts to praise Cricket Australia for finding them good facilities for one day at Allan Border Field in Brisbane, when they hastily headed north to get out of Sydney. If it wasn't a serious issue, that would have been laughable.

So it's hardly a surprise New Zealand were done like a kipper over the first three days of this test.

New Zealand Cricket had to demand some worthwhile lead-up - in Brisbane - to try to get something akin to a like-for-like lead-up for what lay ahead.

Whether they sought it isn't clear. NZC aren't talking on the subject, but there's a feeling they're reluctant to give their hosts a serve.

They have bedded down an impressive menu of transtasman contests in the coming seasons.

That's all good, but New Zealand need to show themselves worthy opponents.

This is written in full knowledge they may well do that in Perth and Adelaide. They do have recent form for bouncing back hard in test series from unpromising beginnings.

But they were never going to do that on their run-in to the first test.

It's understood New Zealand were hoping for a first-class match at the Sydney Cricket Ground. For whatever reason, that didn't eventuate.

It's a no brainer that New Zealand should have had a three or four-day fixture at Allan Border Field, even if against a state second XI or team of rising academy talent. Key players were seriously short of a gallop, notably captain Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor. Trent Boult looked in need of work on the first day. Boult is absolutely essential to New Zealand's series aspirations.

The only bowler who was on song was Tim Southee, before his back counted him out and left New Zealand's attack toothless.

New Zealand's seamers "have been as rubbish as the weekly garbo truck" wrote one columnist yesterday.

Australian openers Joe Burns and David Warner will never get softer test hundreds. As leading writer Malcolm Knox put it in the Sydney Morning Herald, in praise of Kane Williamson's superlative century, "[Australia] have only had to face New Zealand bowling".

On signing off as CA's chairman, Wally Edwards conceded Australia had treated New Zealand poorly in recent years. That had to change.

The evidence suggests they're up to their old tricks again. But NZC appear guilty of not wanting to rock the good ship transtasman.

The past Brisbane history is there for all to see. Australia last lost a test at the Gabba in 1988.

The warning bells were ringing loud. NZC either didn't heed them, or weren't allowed to.