KEY POINTS:
One player gone, two with question marks over their fitness and two old faces back as cover doesn't appeal as the ideal lead-in to a test.
As they prepare for the second test against the West Indies in Napier, starting on Friday, the New Zealand management have their fingers crossed for Ross Taylor and James Franklin, but have already lost allrounder Jacob Oram.
Oram, who pulled out of the first test in Dunedin last week with a strained calf shortly before the start, has been withdrawn as he works to recover full fitness.
"Jacob is a world-class performer. He's had niggles we've got him over, and played him perhaps just before he's been 100 per cent right," coach Andy Moles said yesterday.
"So the medical team have made the decision to make sure we get him 100 per cent so we can start with a clean canvas."
They hope the colours start going on that canvas with the first Twenty20 international at Eden Park on Boxing Day and, with luck, will run through the ODI programme, beginning at Queenstown on New Year's Eve.
Oram has now missed five straight tests since his last appearance in Chittagong against Bangladesh in October with a mix of injuries, notably back, a fractured finger and now a dicky calf.
Taylor dislocated his right ring finger dropping a catch at Dunedin. He will practise today and his availability will be dictated by how comfortable he is when batting.
"The swelling has gone down but we'll know more once he's had a hit tomorrow," Moles said. Fielding at first slip is likely to be off the agenda for McLean Park.
Franklin took a painful blow in the chest from West Indian speedster Fidel Edwards on his comeback to test cricket. How well he comes through the next two days' practice will decide whether he lines up on Friday.
Peter Fulton is in Napier as cover for Taylor, and Chris Martin for Franklin. But despite the raised eyebrows over Martin's omission from Dunedin, Moles confirmed he will play only if Franklin is ruled out.
Moles, having completed his first test in charge, wants more consistency with bat and ball than he got in Dunedin.
"Five-day cricket is about being consistent for three spells a day. We've got to take on more responsibility and we certainly realise from what we saw in the last test we are good enough to beat the West Indies," he said.
* The responsibility of managing the New Zealand team will remain with Lindsay Crocker for at least the rest of the West Indies tour, New Zealand Cricket confirmed yesterday.
After days of "is he, isn't he" rumours on whether he was about to be replaced, Crocker will stay on for the meantime, although his job is one of those under review in the support staff shakeup which followed Moles taking over from John Bracewell.
NZC chief executive Justin Vaughan confirmed former Rowing New Zealand boss Craig Ross had been a candidate for the manager's job and had been in Dunedin to see the national team setup, as an early handover was contemplated.
Vaughan acknowledged the timing had not been ideal.
