Mark Richardson: Learn from the best and prepare for Sri Lanka

Could everyone please calm down? I know we are all frustrated and disappointed with what has happened but we need to get realistic about the Black Caps.

Public expectation is high. It always is when we play Australia. Beating Australia makes us so proud - it's like beating big brother. If we are better, we like them to know it. When they are better, we still believe we can pull off a sneaky one. When we don't, then we carry on as if we should have.

We should not be beating the Australians at cricket right now. But our players and administrators should be using the experience as a benchmark. One we can be motivated by and then unload on Sri Lanka when they arrive.

Look, the realist in me says five nil and three nil, weather permitting, but let's not make the situation any worse.

There is only one Australia at the moment. England may be a cheap imitation but they will lose the Ashes 4-1. Australia is a mile above us - I'm not saying accept defeat, every player should be trying their utmost to contribute to something sensational. All I'm saying is don't let a loss be worse than it needs to be and ruin our chance to improve.

Dropping players now against Australia is unfair. Any changes to the team needed to be made at the start of the tour and maintained. Playing the best and losing should make you stronger.

It is performances against Sri Lanka that I'm interested in. If they perform badly when the heat is turned down a little then I'm all for swinging the axe but, until then, let them learn and prepare. I see it as knee-jerk, public pandering and unfair to drop someone on the strength of a couple of games against Australia and give a new guy the easy ride in against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.

That's not 'blooding' people, it is fooling people.

This is the best team we can put out. Jacob Oram, Scott Styris and yes, I know, enough already, Shane Bond are players we cannot afford to lose if we want to compete with Australia. But we have, so accept it. Chris Cairns has retired from tests so don't count on his world-class batting assaults which, by the way, were what we missed in the second innings of the first test.

The situation called for a 'balls and all' batting display. The sort of thing you get from an Andrew Flintoff which takes the game from the opposition. Rather, we were tentative and hopeful and a little inevitable.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY