Black Caps v Australia: Hits and misses

Australian pundits don't tend to rate players until they have performed well in their country and Kane Williamson has certainly done that in the first two tests. photo / Getty

David Leggat outlines what we've learnt from the first two cricket tests against Australia.

Kane Williamson is a true champion
Okay, we may have known that for a while, but New Zealand's low key No 3 has moved his game up a gear in Australia. His 140 at Brisbane was a technically supreme innings. His 166 at Perth simply rammed home his standing among the very best in the game. Doing it in front of Australian eyes, in their back yard, won't hurt his standing either. They tend to take a dim view of "star" players until they do it on their side of the ditch.

The 3-4 punch
Wiliamson and Ross Taylor, with their record-setting stand of 265 in Perth - New Zealand's best for any wicket against the Aussies - was further vindication of Brendon McCullum's view that they are the best No 3 and 4 combination in the business. Their running between the wickets has some history, but their batting at the Waca was exceptional. Taylor's 290 is the highest score made by a visiting player in a test in Australia. That record was 112 years old. Forget all the palaver over no handshaking and back-slapping from the Aussies as he headed to the pavilion. They did congratulate him later; they certainly appreciated the size of his achievement.

David Warner is some batsman
Three centuries in his first three innings of the series for the bristling little left-hander. He may irritate but he can play. At times down the years, he's been a goose, but Warner has been high in his praise of Williamson and respectful of the opposition. It's just that he's been too hot for New Zealand to handle. So far, anyway.

Time to pounce
Watch for New Zealand to put in a highly competitive performance in the final test at Adelaide. They were flattened in Brisbane, and day one in Perth did not bode well. But they scrapped back and by the finish had parity. If they've got the bad stuff out of the system, notably some lacklustre bowling, they will be a big chance to square the series. No question, the self-belief is back.

Southee is back
The good news for New Zealand from Perth, Williamson and Taylor aside, was the performance of Tim Southee. The irritated disc in his back, which threatened to derail his tour, stood up well and he was the most successful bowler in Perth with his four second-innings wickets. Now all New Zealand need is Trent Boult firing with the pink ball.

The Aussies have Mark Craig's measure
It's been a brutal experience for offspinner Mark Craig thus far in the series. Australia's batsmen, at least partly by design, have gone after Craig, who has picked up six very expensive wickets at 72 runs apiece. He is an upbeat sort and Adelaide is likely to be his best chance of success. Coach Mike Hesson has indicated he's likely to hold his place. His spirit is good and the flak he's got in Australia should give him an incentive to thumb a nose at his critics at Adelaide.

Starc logic
Rangy left armer Mitchell Starc looms as Australia's biggest threat to the New Zealand batting. If the pink ball really is akin to the white one-day pill, take note of Starc's sizzling record in the shorter form. He was outstanding in the World Cup this year, and came into the tests on the back of terrific form in Australia's 50-over competition. Expect him to be a real handful.

The mojo is back
Well, put it this way: New Zealand may privately figure they've dodged a bullet to be still in with a chance of squaring the series. It's not their preferred position. They wanted to win the series. But they are quietly confident, suspect the worst may be over and are far more upbeat than the Australian players about what the pink ball will bring. That's no guarantee of success, but they're in the right space after a gruelling start to the series.

A right balls-up
This season's batch of Kookaburra balls are rubbish. By the end of the Perth test, the number of unscheduled changes in the match was in double figures. For all the talk about how the pink balls will last in Adelaide, they can't be any worse. Duke, who make the balls used in England, are sniffing about. The heat is on the Australian company to get it right.

The lottery is looming
Yes, it is great to be part of cricket history in Adelaide next week. Yes, brilliant to play in front of an expected 50,000 on the first two days at least. Yes, it may be a normal test event in five years, as Hesson has suggested. But right now, how the pink ball, day-night debut goes off is anyone's guess. New Zealand have the right attitude - broadly, let's get on with it, make the most of it and see how it plays out - while Australia's players have been less enthusiastic. The teams are about even now, so it may be all about who is holding the winning ticket.