Adam Parore: Believe it or not, series can still be squared

After what's happened over the last five weeks, you wouldn't have imagined New Zealand arriving at the final test with the chance of squaring the series.

But that is how New Zealand must approach the match starting at Eden Park today.

Given what's gone on since Australia arrived - a 5-0 thumping in the one-day series, a nine-wicket loss in the first test and being saved by rain at the Basin Reserve in the second test - you would not give much for New Zealand's prospects.

I'm sure many of the players, particularly those who've been around since the start of the ODI series, will be feeling battered and bruised.

The danger is they might feel they've tried everything and nothing has worked. But there are enough guys in this test team who won't be carrying those battle scars.

New Zealand must be aggressive and they should remember that there have been flickers of encouragement over the first two tests.

Despite the scorelines, it hasn't been entirely doom and gloom.

New Zealand were right in it for the first three days in Christchurch and in Wellington, there was enough to suggest some of the newer guys have something about them.

The biggest worry is the form of captain Stephen Fleming. He's getting tangled up at the crease and the Australians are the best in the business at finding a weakness and probing relentlessly.

Fleming might be better off taking a more aggressive approach. His other batsmen should follow suit. Don't let the Australian bowlers dictate terms.

It can be risky but, done sensibly, will ease some of the pressure. Look at the guys who have made runs against this attack over the years - Dravid, Laxman, Lara, Tendulkar, etc.

How have they done it? By playing their shots and dictating terms. It is the only way.

Keep rotating the strike with short singles. Be prepared to take the odd risk. Get the Australian bowlers scratching their heads rather than licking their lips at the prospect of getting one of our guys stuck down one end and having 20-odd deliveries in succession at him.

I always found it was a lot harder to get out if you were at the non-striker's end.

The key things about the Australians are their discipline and consistency. They obviously think their plans through and execute them ruthlessly. Nothing is left to chance.

Our batsmen can learn from Adam Gilchrist.

He attacks bowlers better than anybody else. He's done it all round the globe and been hugely successful in a variety of conditions and against a range of bowlers.

If he comes in when Australia are in a tight spot, rather than play good defence, he'll go on the offensive.

That leads to his facing fewer good balls than if he sat back and looked to take a cautious approach. If they're well on their way to a big score he's the ideal batsman to ram home the advantage.

Unless the Eden Park pitch is an out-and-out greentop, offspinner Paul Wiseman must play. He's in good form, he's taken wickets against Australia and the bottom line is New Zealand must find a way to get 20 wickets.

One final thought: New Zealand will need to have taken 10 wickets to still be in it after two or three days. New Zealand should develop a plan focused on bowling Australia out once. That way, all things being equal, they'll still be in the game.

If they can't bowl them out once then I'm afraid the series will be gone, and not long after, so will this test.

I'm pretty sure if you offered Fleming the chance to be even-stevens after day three (just like Christchurch, remember), he would grab it with both hands.

From there on you just need to make fewer mistakes than them and you've won. Sounds easy, doesn't it?

* Adam Parore is a former New Zealand wicketkeeper