Cricket: No one-day scars for fresh Martin

Chris Martin in action. Herald file picture

New Zealand's bowling spearhead Chris Martin says avoiding highlights of the one-day cricket series has been his best preparation for tomorrow's first test against Australia.

Martin will play his 19th test on his home ground as the question marks remain over New Zealand's ability to take 20 wickets on what should be a batter-friendly Jade Stadium surface.

In Martin's favour is his role as a test specialist, meaning he had no part in the 5-0 one-day series carnage where the bowlers were chewed up and spat out by Ricky Ponting and company.

In Napier on Saturday, Kyle Mills, Lance Hamilton and Tama Canning were slayed for 347 as Australia sealed the whitewash by 122 runs.

At the time Martin was having a leisurely stroll for his St Albans club in Christchurch and was in no hurry to watch a replay.

"I haven't watched too much of it. I've been playing a lot of cricket myself and whenever they've been playing on TV we've been playing," Martin said.

"I've seen a few highlights but it's bad news to watch the highlights. I'm just to go in with a clear open mind and hopefully do my job properly.

"It's nice coming in fresh, starting a series with no injuries and feeling quite optimistic about things. Coming into the team it should give everyone a bit of a lift so I'm looking forward to it."

Martin wasn't disgraced in New Zealand's pre-Christmas test series across the Tasman, taking five for 152 in the Brisbane innings loss but then suffering at the hands of Justin Langer in Adelaide to take none for 118 off 27 overs as the spinners prospered.

Still with fresh memories of his matchwinning 11-wicket haul against South Africa at Eden Park a year ago, Martin has 63 wickets at a reasonable average of 32.87.

But it is his ability to left-handers, angling the ball across and swinging it away which make him appealing against Australia.

Langer and Matthew Hayden -- who was yesterday cleared to play after a shoulder injury -- both stand on the other side of the bat as does the hard-hitting Adam Gilchrist.

"I like bowling to left-handers. The Australians are probably the best group of left-handers I've bowled to, they leave the ball very well.

"We've just got to be in the right areas for quite a long time and I think they're like any other batsmen, you've got to force the error."

Martin felt New Zealand's main advantage from the pre-Christmas series was being more accustomed to their own conditions.

He expected more seam movement than he got in Brisbane and Adelaide

"They won't be green seamers but definitely result pitches," he said of the Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland venues.

Martin leads a similar attack to the Adelaide test where Langer's 215 led Australia to 575 for eight declared as they won by 213 runs.

Martin said the key was to start well as they didn't do in Adelaide where Langer was fed a diet of boundary balls.

James Franklin, also able to swing the ball away from left-handers, is a handy foil while Daniel Vettori and Paul Wiseman may get another chance as a spin duo.

New Zealand coach John Bracewell had the side training in full whites in two hour sessions this week to mimic the pace of test cricket.

He admitted something had to change with the side's poor test results in 2004, when they lost six in a row to South Africa, England and Australia if the easy tour of Bangladesh was discounted.

"There's no denying we have to shift our focus on test match cricket because it hasn't been up to scratch for a while now," Bracewell said.

"The guys are all accepting of trying something different to almost shock them back into test match mode from the rush of one-day cricket."

Bracewell said the sombre mood at training this week suggested steely focus and determination to right the one-day series wrongs.

- NZPA