Parallel Universe?

Well, it sure feels like one. The Australian media are approaching this two-test series against small-island-off-the-coast-of-Tasmania with caution. This piece in the Sydney Morning Herald is headlined "Black Caps show they're not the entree before Indian main course". Even if it isn't fully representative of the general feeling, that has got to be the most flattering thing I've read about a touring NZ side in an Aussie report. Even more weird, a poll in the same paper shows 51% believe Australia will not win the first test.

And that's not all. NZ, having survived (nay, dominated) the tour game, are actually talking themselves up. Doug Bracewell, whose willingness to talk tough should not surprise given his lineage, says there's "No fear of Australia at all". Martin Guptill, and Mark Richardson in the Herald, have also made optimistic noises. If this keeps up, expect Vettori to be on the winning side for the first time in ninteen attempts against Australia, and Chris Martin (15 wickets @ 86 vs the Aussies) to be the wrecker-in-chief!

Personally, I think too much is being read into recent events in discussions on the series. A number of people have written NZ off on the basis that they struggled to beat Zimbabwe. But they were coming off a ten-month break from tests, and the Zimbabwean side had shown itself to be nobody's fool since returning to the highest level. Equally, the positive strides made by Australia since the Ashes debacle cannot be undermined by that freakish 47 all out alone.

Having said that, the odds are that the Aussies will win. They're in a vulnerable state, but NZ may not be good enough just yet to capitalise (given some time though, I think we'll arrive at a stage where we're good enough to make struggling top sides pay). Seeing that both teams will be fielding a few players who are quite raw at the test level, it should be a good contest. Especially if all that talk of an aggressive approach is applied sensibly.