Cricket: Black Caps have it all over Australia in experience stakes after retirements

New Zealand cricketers applaude Australia's Mitchell Johnson as he walks to the crease to bat for the last time on day 5 of the second Trans-Tasman Test match. Photo / AAP

In one respect, New Zealand have it all over Australia going into the deciding third test in Adelaide next week.

There's not much between the sides on the park, New Zealand have got over a sizeable hump in the course of the last four days of the second match at the Waca.

They will arrive in the city of churches feeling that, for all the talk of the test being a lottery with the distinctive challenges the inaugural day-night pink ball test will present, they are right back in the series.

Where they're certainly ahead of the hosts is in test experience.

When Mitchell Johnson, worn out and mentally shot, retired during the Perth test, it brought to six the number of experienced players who have departed since the start of the Ashes tour of England in mid-year.

Gone from that side led by Michael Clarke (115 tests), are wicketkeeper Brad Haddin (66), allrounder Shane Watson (59), top class seamer Ryan Harris, who but for being bedevilled by injuries would have played far more than 27 tests, opening batsman Chris Rogers (25) and of course Johnson (73).

That's the accumulated wisdom and experience of 365 tests gone inside six months.

The side in the second test had four players, Joe Burns, Adam Voges, Mitchell Marsh and Peter Nevill, all still in single figures.

The third test team will have offspinner Nathan Lyon, with 48 caps, as most capped player. Captain Steve Smith will be playing his 36th. Add in Shaun Marsh (15 caps) for Usman Khawaja and nominate Peter Siddle (57) for Johnson's spot and Australia walk out in Adelaide with 263 tests.

New Zealand's side in Perth totted up to 399 caps, lead by skipper Brendon McCullum, who is winding up a career which began in Sydney in January 2002. The second test against Australia in Christchurch in February is expected to be his 101st and last.

While he will leave a large hole, New Zealand's depth is developing.

Six other players have played 30 or more tests - batsmen Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor, wicketkeeper BJ Watling and seamers Trent Boult and Tim Southee.

A group of players, with the odd one coming and going through injury or form, has grown in the test game together. There has been a consistency of selection over several years, going back to the pre-Mike Hesson coaching era.

It might be argued New Zealand's playing pool is relatively shallow. There are still enough quality players around the country.

It's clear from the comments of Smith and Australian coach Darren Lehmann that they didn't see the exit door revolving quite as much as it has. So now the Australian talk is of looking ahead, the chances presented to younger men and so on. Johnson's decision clearly caught the selectors off guard.

New Zealand, by contrast, are in a settled state.

You could argue a couple of selection spots on the score of personal preference, but there is fast-medium backup with experience, a couple of spinners who've had a taste of test cricket in Ish Sodhi and Todd Astle, who could come again, a talented allrounder in Mitchell Santner and rising middle order batting talent, such as Will Young and Henry Nicholls, who have caught the selectors' eye.

Not at all a bad state to be in.