But what-ever the opposition did, the gist of the match is about the tourists' expanding their knowledge of the pink ball's properties, both in bright sunshine and at night.
The first thing to note: the pink ball is easy to see, at least in the bright blue sunlight of the afternoon. It's easy to follow down the pitch and when struck through the field, which was quite often as opener Will Bosisto and Whiteman went through their paces.
Bosisto, who hit a maiden Sheffield Shield hundred against Victoria this week, and Whiteman, rated possibly next in line for a test call, were quick to pounce on anything loose as they shared a 99-run fifth wicket stand.
Bosisto was out shortly before tea, a ball from spinner Mitchell Santner squeezing past him to be stumped for an impressive 78, with 11 fours.
Santner, playing with a fractured little finger on his bowling hand, dropped the ball too short, or far too full, too often. Matt Henry and Doug Bracewell took the new ball, spinners Mark Craig and Santner were in business by lunch and Tim Southee had a roll midway through the second session.
He troubled the short Whiteman before the batsman responded by whistling four boundaries off him. A fifth took him past 50 off 61 balls.
It'd be a stretch to say the strokes were greeted with noisy applause. The woman at the bag check reckoned 250 people has passed by her station before play began.
A couple were queuing at noon, two hours before the start, she added. In which case they're clearly mad; and the heat may have played havoc with her counting.
The two grass banks were deserted, save a group of youngsters playing their games. The stands had a small sprinkling of spectators.
Cottesloe Beach was a better option yesterday.
Neil Wagner, challenging for a test recall in Adelaide, bustled in impressively and had three for 44 by the dinner break, two played on and one caught at first slip by Ross Taylor.
Before lunch, Taylor has grassed a regulation catch in the same position off the luckless Bracewell.
"The wicket is a touch on the soft and slowish side, so you've got to pitch it up, but the ball felt quite all right," Wagner said.
"I haven't bowled too much with it but there was a little bit of shape. It feels a little more like a white than red ball, but in between the two.
"It's like any other ball - it takes a couple of balls to get used to, then once you do, you just have to hit your areas."
