Australia not a lucky country for Black Caps

History is against NZ but Latham backs side to retain Chappell- Hadlee Trophy

One guess which topic has not been near New Zealand’s agenda this week: the last time they played Australia in an ODI on this side of the Tasman.

No surprises there. The World Cup final in Melbourne in March last year went badly wrong for New Zealand. And since then they beat Australia 2- 1 to keep hold of the Chappell- Hadlee Trophy, albeit at home.

It’s seven years since New Zealand last played Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground. They didn’t win on that occasion either, despite a fine Grant Elliott century.

But as they hold the ChappellHadlee Trophy they’ll start in a positive frame of mind tomorrow.

“It’s certainly high up there in the one- day calender for us,” opener Tom Latham said.

“To play Australia in Australia in a Chappell- Hadlee series, it doesn’t get much better for us. Everyone’s looking forward to this.”

Australian cricket has been in turmoil in recent times, with their test team turned inside out and they are coming off the back of a 5- 0 ODI series drubbing in South Africa.

And yet they remain world No 1 in this form — two places above New Zealand — and seem fairly settled, with the addition of quick men Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins, the former capable of devastating bursts, the latter fast but returning from another injury layoff.

“I’m sure they’ll be looking to right a few wrongs and play some good cricket over here,” Latham said. “We know how good they are in their own backyard.

“If we can adapt to the surface and everything around the cricket then hopefully that will give us a good chance.”

New Zealand’s new quick bowling hope Lockie Ferguson whistled a couple of balls past his captain Kane Williamson’s nose in the Sydney nets yesterday. Latham, one of nine players in the squad who have yet to play Australia over here, faced him too.

“He was getting it down there pretty quickly.”

New Zealand’s key selection decisions could be around how to use their allround options and whether to throw Ferguson straight into the fray.

Can they fit all of Jimmy Neesham, Colin de Grandhomme and Mitchell Santner in? Yes, but one seamer, legspinner Todd Astle and perhaps Henry Nicholls would be vulnerable in that case.

Swing man Trent Boult looks good to go after the knee niggle which cost him the second test against Pakistan.

Australian coach Darren Lehmann acknowledged New Zealand as “a quality side”.

“They’ve got some quality strikers of the ball, Martin Guptill at the top of the order; Williamson is a class player. For us it’s going to be a case of keeping them quiet for the series.”

Meanwhile, there’s trouble in the Australian camp with Lehmann moved to give allrounder Glenn Maxwell a verbal slap after the self- styled Big Show took a potshot at his Victorian captain, and ODI teammate, Matthew Wade.

Maxwell took exception at Wade putting himself above Maxwell in the batting order in two Sheffield Shield matches, theoretically to highlight his own batting talents for the national selectors.

Maxwell has a theory wicketkeepers should not bat ahead of allrounders. Not sure what Adam Gilchrist would have made of that, but Lehmann made it clear yesterday he’s unimpressed.

“I’m obviously disappointed but we’ll work through those i ssues,” Lehmann said.

Lehmann then delivered a slap to Maxwell’s aspirations for a test callup against either Pakistan at home or in India in February.

“He hasn’t made a [ Sheffield Shield] hundred for two years. Are you going to pick a bloke who hasn’t made a hundred in t wo years?” Lehmann said.

Australia, for all their current dramas, have won 10 of the last 12 completed ODIs at home against New Zealand.

They don’t like not having their hands on available silverware. This series shapes as a test of New Zealand’s mental fortitude as much as their skill.

“They are No 1 in the world and that’s pretty hard to go past. They’ll certainly be coming out hard,” Latham said.