Cricket: Black Caps will embrace pink ball - Hesson

Doug Bracewell prepares to bowl with the pink ball during the tour match between the Prime Minister's XI and New Zealand. Photo / Getty

There are plenty of questions to be answered, but New Zealand will embrace the pink ball test, in the knowledge it holds the key to whether they can maintain their fine record of the last two years.

Should New Zealand win the third test, and first day-nighter in history, starting in Adelaide late next week, it would bump their unbeaten series run to eight.

New Zealand has lost a series since being in England in 2013. Since then four series have been won and three drawn, home and away. It's an imposing record and suggests skill and character reside within the squad.

Their meritorious draw at the Waca yesterday kept the series alive, and what's more gave New Zealand a decent psychological boost after being well done over in the first test at Brisbane.

"I think we do," coach Mike Hesson said of the idea of his team having taken any psychological points out of the test, considering the way it evolved.

"If Australia didn't rate us highly then the game could have unfolded quite differently than it did."

Having been battered around the Waca on day one, New Zealand had at least parity out of the following four days, put up more than 600 in an innings against the Aussies for the first time and bowled much better.

"Absolutely," Hesson said when asked if the series record was a motivating force for his players, not that they talk much about it.

"It doesn't need to be. It's something we're very proud of as a team.

"To scrap the way we did after day one today shows a continuation of the character we've shown for a long time.

"You find out a bit about people when you're under a bit of adversity. I think we found that out of the last four days."

New Zealand, whatever the players' private thoughts, have kept an upbeat attitude towards the use of a pink ball in a test for the first time.

By contrast, Australia has been full of grumbles, ranging from batsmen not being able to pick up the seam, to the ball losing colour and being hard to spot from certain fielding positions, notably square of the wicket.

Hesson believes New Zealand's philosophy might give them a small edge over the less happy hosts.

"I think so. This is a test and we are really keen to do well. It's a chance to get something out of the series.

"It's a new opportunity for us, it's going to be a great crowd and who knows, in five years' time it could be the norm.

"We are certainly going to embrace it."

Hesson believes the two teams are ''pretty close together"' and that won't change with a pink ball.

"I think we're two very competitive sides. We'll know more in Adelaide, different lights, different surface, but we'll get stuck in and make the most of it."

New Zealand have a relaxing couple of days ahead before preparing for a two-day day-night game against a Western Australian XI at the Waca on Saturday and Sunday.

That team will be named on Thursday and with no clash of Sheffield Shield games, is expected to be a competitive side.

Hesson said it won't be 11 vs 11 as he's keen for all players to get some action.

Discussions still need to be held with Western Australian officials but it may pan out that each team has a day of batting and the other bowling.

The only player with an injury concern is young allrounder Mitchell Santner who fractured the little finger of his bowling hand. However a splint will be used and Hesson expects no significant discomfort.