KEY POINTS:
Pace bowler Glenn McGrath thinks Australia have time to turn around their form slump before beginning their cricket World Cup defence next month in the Caribbean.
The world champions suffered a 3-0 whitewash against New Zealand, the rout completed by a one-wicket win in Hamilton. It was Australia's fifth consecutive ODI defeat, and sixth in seven matches, after folding 2-0 to England in the tri-series finals on home soil and falling even further with their dismal showing in the Chappell-Hadlee series against New Zealand.
Australia have warm-up games against Zimbabwe and England in the week before they kick off their World Cup campaign against Scotland in St Kitts on March 14.
But the experienced McGrath, who was rested as New Zealand reached their target of 347 with three balls to spare at Seddon Park, said Australia had the ability to regroup.
"It wasn't the best tour for us over there in New Zealand but we would rather get that out of the way now a few weeks before the first [World Cup] game so we can work out what we need to do differently and turn it around," McGrath said.
For stand-in skipper Mike Hussey it completed a wretched series, and took his record at the helm to four defeats out of four.
"It's pretty difficult and I feel pretty demoralised really I'll probably take a little while to get over it," Hussey said after New Zealand recovered from 41 for four and 116 for five to reach their unlikely victory target.
"That's cricket. New Zealand again, another fantastic run chase, and under pressure we just couldn't nail our yorkers or put the ball where we wanted it to go," Hussey added.
"It's disappointing, but it shows us that we still have some work to do before the World Cup."
To add injury to insult, opener Matthew Hayden, who in defeat smashed the eighth highest one-day score with a cavalier 181 not out, joined Australia's growing list of injured players.
With Andrew Symonds [arm] and Brett Lee [ankle] in doubt for the start of the tournament, Hayden had the big toe on his right foot broken by a delivery from Mark Gillespie.
- REUTERS
