New Zealand vs Australia 1st Test Preview & Betting Tips - Black Caps backed to win opener

By Nikhil Kalro

28 Feb 2024

Nikhil Kalro 28 Feb 2024

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Australia tours New Zealand for highly anticipated Test series; Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc set to play their first Test in NZ.
Devon Conway's absence might impact NZ's performance; Rachin Ravindra's form is a positive sign.
Overcast conditions expected to influence the series significantly.
New Zealand may have their best chance to beat traditionally dominant Australia.

Kane Williamson of New Zealand (Getty Images)

The last time Australia toured New Zealand for a Test series, the World Test Championship didn't exist and MS Dhoni was still an active international cricketer.

Devon Conway was also a struggling South African player trying to make a mark in Wellington and Usain Bolt was still an active athlete.

In this intervening period, Brendon McCullum, who was New Zealand’s captain last time, is England coach and ND Dhoni is nearly four years into international retirement.

Australia’s two-most decorated fast bowlers of this era, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc, will be playing a Test in New Zealand for the first time.

The two-Test series comes at the end of long home summers for both sides. After the on-field hostilities are done away with - will there be hostility at all? - players from both sides will hop on a long flight to India for the IPL.

Australia, the reigning WTC champions, are still hurting, having lost to West Indies in their most-recent Test outing in January, their first loss to them since 1997.

While in the aftermath, there has been enough soul-searching, there’s a firm understanding that they’re still a quality team and that one defeat doesn’t devalue their achievements over the past year, which includes a WTC crown as well as a 50-over World Cup title.

New Zealand played South Africa in what can be considered as a nice warm-up for the Australia Tests. Warm up because it was a second-string South Africa XI that took the field in the absence of their regular stars who featured in the SA20, with commercial considerations taking precedence over WTC points.

New Zealand vs Australia Tips and Predictions

Devon Conway has been ruled out of the series with an injury, but Rachin Ravindra’s breakthrough outings against South Africa makes him a guarantee in the first XI. On home turf, at a sold out Basin Reserve, he’ll have an opportunity to further enhance his Test credentials.

New Zealand won’t have the retired Neil Wagner, but have a competent pace battery led by Tim Southee.

On a green mamba in Wellington, they will back themselves to topple Australia whose batting has been a tad underwhelming lately, especially that of Marnus Labuschagne who is battling a form slump.

Steven Smith hasn’t yet fully made his mark in his new role as an opener, and David Warner’s retirement throws open the door for another contender to come in and make the spot his own.

All told, this promises to be a riveting series. Overcast conditions will have a massive bearing on proceedings with the captain winning the toss most-likely to bowl first to put the opposition under pressure.

History is with Australia, but this is New Zealand’s best chance to get one up over their big brother.