5 Pressing Questions Facing Australia Ahead of New Zealand Series

Australia and New Zealand will usher in the summer with a three-match Test series starting on 5 November, and it’s an important series for both teams.

For Australia, it’s a chance to bounce back from their Ashes defeat. For New Zealand, it’s a chance to prove that they are a team on the up who can beat their neighbours, despite having a fraction of their resources. It will also be a historic tour, with the final game of the series being the first-ever day-night Test.

Here are some questions facing the hosts ahead of the series.

Is the World Ready for Day-Night Test Cricket?

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For years, teams from all over the world have experimented with day-night first-class cricket. Australia’s Shield competition has been at the forefront of it, which gives the hosts a slight advantage over the visitors.

It’s a brave new world for players and fans alike, but there are many things that need to go right in order for it to work. There are also plenty who are sceptical of the idea of day-night Tests, especially among Test cricket traditionalists. The answer to the question is, simply, we’ll have to wait and see.

Is Playing Peter Siddle in the Warm-Ups a Good Idea?

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Peter Siddle has not bowled a ball since August. Subsequently, he has been included in the squad for the warm-up match against New Zealand. This is a rare occurrence with teams usually preferring to give touring teams “weaker” sides as they familiarise themselves with conditions.

While modern teams have mountains of footage on players they will face, it is rare for them to have the opportunity to face their competitors just days before they square off in the real thing. Australia, though, had little other choice but to include Siddle and get him match fit ahead of the Test series.

Will David Warner Be Fit?

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David Warner fractured his thumb in September and is facing a race to fitness ahead of the first Test. The explosive top-order batsman is a key cog in the Australian batting lineup, and should he fail to recover, his presence will be missed.

He has had a decent year in Tests so far, with 621 runs at an average of 41.4 in eight matches. It's a bit off his 2014 average of 63.11, but Warner is the kind of stubborn batsman who can make or break a Test for his side.

How Will Steve Smith Adjust to Test Captaincy?

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This series will be Steve Smith’s first full series as captain since Michael Clarke called it a day. He's just hit an unbeaten 136 for his domestic team, New South Wales, to help them into the domestic one-day final.

Encouragingly, he captains that team, too, but Test captaincy is a whole different kettle of fish. All eyes will be on the little maestro as he embarks on what must surely be one of the most challenging jobs in sport.

Will the Postponed Bangladesh Tour Have an Impact?

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Australia had to postpone their series against Bangladesh due to security concerns. They might have been sending a near-second-string team, but it was still an opportunity to Test their depth and get some of their star players into the groove of Test cricket.

The postponement means that none of the players will have played international cricket since the Ashes ended. While it’s not unusual for players to go some time with a break between series, the Bangladesh tour would have been a nice extra for the Aussies to have.