Brisbane 5th-9th November 2015
Australia return to the test arena following their humbling in England over the summer and the cancellation of their tour to Bangladesh in October with the visit of New Zealand, the first test between the tow nations since 2011.
Prior to the first test, the war of words between the two camps has been raging, with David Warner accusing New Zealand captain Brendan McCullum of being immature, and underlining Australia's ultra-agressive attitude, both on and off the field.
This series with be Steve Smith's first as test captain, and Australia's first since the batch of post-ashes retirements. This means that there are a lot of new faces in the Australian XI, with Joe Burns and Usman Khawaja coming into the top order, who have played two and nine tests respectively so far. With Smith confirmed to be batting at four, Adam Voges the only other recognised batsman in the squad, and Mitch Marsh as an all-rounder, this line-up looks very thin to me. The bowling unit, as expected, is much more experienced, with Johnson and Starc leading the line and Nathan Lyon as the spin option.
New Zealand, on the other hand, boast a lot of experience across the team, having essentially the same squad that toured England earlier this summer. The new ball partnership of Tim Southee and Trent Boult are one of the best in the world right now, and the with Williamson, Taylor and McCullam in the middle-order, the batting also looks very strong.
Looking at just the teams, you would certainly think that Australia look vulnerable here, particularly in the batting department. With well-matched bowling attacks, this match may well be decided on who is able to get runs on the board, and an untested Australian side is difficult to trust in this regard, especially with such a thin-looking batting line-up.
Historically, however, Australia's record at the Gabba is formidable, having not lost a test since the West Indies visited in 1988. This is reflected in the current odds, with the market pricing Australia as 1.74 favourites, with New Zealand at 4.3 and the draw at 5s. With both sides known for their positive cricket, a lay of the draw looks a banker here from the off. I'm also very tempted to take the 4.3 about New Zealand here, as I really think Australia are as weak as they have been for years, and can see this price coming in a lot shorter. Given the historical record of Australia at the Gabba, I won't be looking to hold onto this for too long.
I also like the look of Kane Williamson at 4s for top New Zealand bat, as he's proved himself to be one of the worlds best in all conditions. Steve Smith is a little short for top Australian Batsman at 3.25, but is difficult to see where else runs will come from in this side, so might be worth a poke.
Overall, though, this test should prove an excellent insight into what's to come from these two sides during this series, and one I'm very much looking forward to.
