Cricket: Test series provides barometer of NZ season

After a season with two distinct highs and a few troughs, New Zealand's cricketing summer is on the line for a clear pass or fail in the next fortnight.

Captain Daniel Vettori gave his side a cautious pass mark heading into today's first of two tests against Ricky Ponting's Australians in Wellington and Hamilton, but a lopsided series would undo a lot of the positives.

"It's a been a pretty good season; if we could have won the Chappell-Hadlee it would have been a really good one," Vettori said.

"To finish off in the test match form would be the key for us because that's the one we've struggled in."

So far there have been two clear highlights; the test victory over Pakistan and the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy opener in Napier.

Before Christmas, New Zealand squared the home test series 1-1 against Pakistan; via a Shane Bond-inspired win in Dunedin, a heavy defeat at the Basin Reserve then a flying start to their runchase in Napier before rain robbed them of what appeared a series-clinching victory.

Their only test outing since was a 121-run win over Bangladesh in Hamilton, a tougher than expected contest which went to day five.

The 2-3 defeat in the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy series against the world's top-ranked one-day side gave New Zealand some confidence, although the test absences of Bond, Scott Styris and Iain O'Brien leaves some telling gaps for the coming series.

"Our test cricket hasn't been that great of late although we played well against Pakistan. We're hoping the good performances against Pakistan can translate against Australia," said Vettori, who will play his 99th test in Wellington.

New Zealand went into the test series ranked sixth in the world to Australia's third, knowing they hadn't beaten their trans-Tasman rivals in the five-day game since 1993 at Eden Park.

Vettori loomed as a key figure with bat and ball, elevated again to No 6 and leading a five-pronged bowling attack. In 16 tests against Australia he had 57 wickets at 35.33, while with the bat in home tests this season he racked up 310 runs at 44.29.

Going in one specialist batsman shy, and resisting the temptation to elevate rising star Kane Williamson into the No 6 slot, put more heat on the top-order against the dual left-arm attack of Doug Bollinger and ODI series standout Mitchell Johnson. But the skipper was happy with the balance.

"We're trying to pick a team that can cover every option. You know what you're going to get when you come to the Basin, as long as the weather's been fine and preparation's been good then you get a good test wicket," Vettori said.

"It's something we've got to play better on. Our first innings batting hasn't been as good here so in this test that's going to be the key."