Australia's tall, left-armer Mitchell Starc, destroyer of New Zealand and other teams at last summer's World Cup, and West Indian spinner Sunil Narine sit above Boult in the shorter game.
His 32 tests have produced 123 wickets at 27.12 - 71 from his past 15 matches at 23.0. Many of those wickets are a result of his late, and prodigious, swing. Those numbers reinforce the belief that for New Zealand to press hard for a second test series win in Australia, the 26-year-old needs a big month.
So he'd be a touch nervous as first test time approaches, right? Not if you checked out his demeanour at a press conference yesterday. Pretty laidback, more like.
And he maintains he takes little notice of those rankings.
"I don't personally look into it too much," Boult said. "They change every second minute so it doesn't really mean too much, but there's the opportunity to come out here and try to outshine these guys [including rival left-arm quicks Mitchell Johnson and Starc] who know the conditions well.
"So myself, and the whole lineup, are definitely looking to grasp that challenge."
Boult's past Gabba experience amounts to "running the drinks on one occasion" but he's aware of what's likely to greet him this week - pace and bounce and the prospect of favourable conditions for swing bowling.
Certainly he would have liked the look of the Gabba pitch, albeit a full two days out from the start. The pitch was a healthy green hue, but is likely to look less overtly seam friendly by tomorrow morning.
Boult is confident it should suit his swing bowling.
"It's been proven to swing around here in the past and it's obviously very hot out there and humid, so if we get things right I can't see a reason why it can't swing.
"It looks like a good wicket. It's obviously going to have good pace and carry. By all means, it's not going to be a walkover, but it's going to suit pace bowling, definitely."
There's a common denominator at work among the New Zealand team since they arrived in Australia. For all the talk that their hosts' batting is vulnerable, New Zealand have been at pains to stress they still have home advantage and still have quality players. They'd be dopey to adopt any other attitude but, equally, this Australian side have more weak, exploitable spots than they have had for some time.
"It's definitely nice to turn up to an Australian test and not have to line up against the likes of [Ricky] Ponting, [Michael] Clarke, [Shane] Watson and co," Boult said. "They're obviously going through a bit of a rebuilding phase, but by no means are the guys coming in mugs."
Three reasons why NZ can win
1. Results over the past couple of years suggest this is New Zealand's best chance to have a real crack at a transitioning Australian side.
2. Australia's batting continues to look vulnerable against world-class seamers. Trent Boult and Tim Southee will be pacing their hotel rooms waiting for their chance.
3. It's said Australia don't really rate opponents until they perform against them in their backyard. Take note, Boult, Southee, Watling, Taylor, McCullum, Guptill, Williamson...
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