Mark Richardson: Batting rookies a worry

Only Ross Taylor has made the grade at test cricket. Photo / Getty Images

In a very short space of time, the New Zealand top order has gone from a proven one to a totally unproven one.

In one-day and Twenty20 cricket, the Black Caps batsmen have forged good reputations that measure well with those from other countries.

Not so in test cricket.

The two openers, Tim McIntosh and BJ Watling, are unproven. No 3 Peter Ingram will play his first test this week.

Martin Guptill will bat at five to accommodate Ingram but he is still to make a name for himself in the longer version of the game. And Neil Broom, if he bats at six, will be playing his first test.

Only Ross Taylor has made the grade at test cricket.

This is a worry. But the selectors have to stick with this side for all three tests - the one against Bangladesh and two against Australia.

These are nervous times. I'm not saying these players aren't up to it, but it's a brave new world we are entering into.

Somehow they have to find some solidity in the top six because, if this group fails, we will be in a world of trouble.

Jesse Ryder would be an automatic selection if he wasn't injured but there are hardly handfuls of others beating down the door and demanding selection. Do they go back to the injured Grant Elliott, who has hardly covered himself in glory in tests? If he's the next in line, then God help us.

Kane Williamson shows promise but he is just a kid and, although he has been in good form of late, has been too inconsistent this summer.

If the top order fail, I think there is only one realistic option - they have to go back to Matthew Sinclair.

New Zealand should persevere with four seamers against Bangladesh so that means Vettori has to remain at No 6 in the order. That would see either Broom or Ingram miss out.

Vettori is proven at test level and it would be a waste for him to bat at No 8, which he would do if they opt for both Ingram and Broom (Brendon McCullum would remain at No 7).

Sadly, we won't learn anything in this test against Bangladesh.

New Zealand simply have to get some test runs to give them confidence heading into the Australian series.

Australia will be rubbing their hands together in glee, looking at the inexperienced New Zealand lineup. It's often easier to score runs in a first innings against Australia but the bowlers soon work players out and formulate a plan.

So they have to strike while the iron is hot, both for their own sake and that of New Zealand cricket.