Northland's Tim Southee knows he needs to front up with his best whites in Australia after enduring a lengthy spell over the winter months. Photo / Getty
Northland's Tim Southee knows he needs to front up with his best whites in Australia after enduring a lengthy spell over the winter months. Photo / Getty
World-class seamer Tim Southee is under no elusion that if the Black Caps are to end their harrowing 30-year test series stupor on Australian soil, the current squad appear poised to do it.
Today's opening test match pitch, the first of three for the transtasman tour, at the Gabba inBrisbane might just add to the furrow for a vulnerable looking Australian batting line-up, and New Zealand's Trent Boult and Southee will be wanting to strike early.
While David Warner and Steve Smith front the Australian side's new-look order, New Zealand's opening pace duo will need to grab a couple of early wickets and target Smith with the swinging ball to keep a win in sight.
However, with a test record at the Gabba mimicking the name of American convenience store 7-eleven, New Zealand's history is far from convenient.
It's nice to have our stronger side together after a bit of a layoff during the winter
Enduring seven losses, one draw and one win [7-1-1], a heavily applied brushstroke in favour of the green and gold wets the canvas of New Zealand's past memories of Brisbane.
"The first two tests are very important," Southee said. "Hopefully we can hit Brisbane ready to go and start this series on the right foot from day one, and then go from there."
Talking strengths, Southee says an important aspect of this Black Caps test side relies on key players stepping up when needed most. This includes himself, and he'll be thirsty to perform after being out of action during one of the longest breaks of his playing career since debuting in 2008.
"It's nice to have our stronger side together after a bit of a layoff during the winter. What's been one of our strengths is that guys haven't got too far ahead of themselves and they've done their role in the side. It's proven that when we do that it's the winning formula," he said.
"There's been plenty of work done over the winter, now I think it's just about going out and putting that work into games. It's just more of the same from me doing what I do for the side."
Primed to step clear of New Zealand's past failings across the ditch, including Australia's record defeat of New Zealand by an innings and 156 runs in 2004-05, Southee says the Black Caps' growing streak of test victories is carrying some weight internationally.
"I think everyone's pretty excited from where we left off last summer. Everyone's looking forward to it after we finished the tour of England which was a tough place to go and a place all cricketers look forward to. So it's about continuing what we've been doing ... there's still plenty of places this test team still wants to go and a series win in Australia is a step in that direction."
