Adam Parore: Give Aussie a taste of something they don't like

New Zealand must step back if they are to move forward against the Australians this week.

In what remains of the one-day series, they need to remember what has worked for New Zealand in the past against the Aussies.

So far, things are going from bad to worse as they try to chase down big targets.

What has traditionally been our best approach against Australia? Set them a target, put the heat on with our slowish dibbly-dobblies and wait for their batsmen to unravel.

It might sound a retrograde step, it can be dull to watch, but there's only one measurement which counts, and that's the result. If we can't go forward, then the next best option is to try to win using a holding pattern.

Stephen Fleming has made it clear he prefers to bat second in ODIs. He's got a couple of good chasers in his middle order, but overall what is going to work best for his team?

Australia like batting first, always have. Why not put them in a situation they would prefer not to be in? Make them bat for the win, and let's see how they cope if we can set them a defendable target.

It's worked often in the past and against far better batting lineups. Consider Australian sides which included the current bevy of rock stars - Matthew Hayden, Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist - plus Mark and Steve Waugh and Michael Bevan, who was great at getting Australia home in awkward situations.

We should be using our conditions to our advantage. On New Zealand pitches, the ball holds up, it affects batsmen's timing and we've invariably had bowlers to exploit that.

Australian batsmen like the ball coming onto them. Ponting goes hard at the ball from the start. So does Michael Clarke. Dibbly dobblies don't suit their style.

Personally, I'd love to see the likes of Andrew Symonds, Clarke and Mike Hussey sweating over a target.

Don't be fooled that Australia, because of their outstanding talent and one-day record, are immune to collapses. They are just as vulnerable to pressure as the next team; it's just that they aren't put under the blowtorch as often as other teams.

I liked the look of James Marshall at Eden Park. Until he got his wires crossed with his twin Hamish over a short single, he suggested he's got something good to offer. And Hamish continues to impress.

And what of Daryl Tuffey, now that he's been omitted for the last two ODIs after Saturday's problems.

I would have brought him back at the 40th over at Eden Park.

Why? First because he might have picked up a wicket at a stage of the innings we needed wickets to slow Australia's momentum. Second, if he'd had another shocker and gone for 10 runs in his first over you could always pull him off again. Given the others were going at sixes you would barely be worse off in the overall scheme of things.

And thirdly, and most important, by banishing him to the boundary for 47 overs there was no chance he could be retained for the Basin Reserve ODI tomorrow and, by extension, Napier next Saturday.

With the first test just 10 days away where does that now leave him and the national selectors? With plenty of hard thinking to do.

* Adam Parore is a former New Zealand wicketkeeper.