While New Zealander Brent Arnel looks set to make his Test match debut on Friday, it is still up in the air whether Australian seamer Ryan Harris will be fit enough to make his.
The Trans-Tasman Trophy, a two Test series, gets underway at the Basin Reserve in Wellington on Friday and all factors are pointing to a commanding Australian win.
However, a side strain has meant Harris is in doubt for the match after being called-up following a brilliant season in the shorter forms of the game.
Although Harris was training at nearly 100 percent one day out from the match, Ponting said the call will be made on Friday morning.
"Ryan will play if he gets through as well as we want him to today and we'll wait and see how he wakes up in the morning," said Ponting.
"That's going to be the important thing."
Although Australia moves into the game as hot favourites after Test series wins over the West Indies and Pakistan during the previous summer, Ponting still expected another tough game following on from his side's 3-2 victory in the Chappell-Hadlee series.
"Both teams really like to play each other and I think that's been highlighted in our one day series and as long as I've been playing," he said.
"They've always been tight tussles and I'm sure it'll be the same over the next couple of weeks."
In contrast to the ODI series, the Basin Reserve pitch looks to be bouncy and will suit the Australian quick bowlers well.
Although Ponting was yet to have a close inspection, he felt it would be similar to the bouncy practice-wickets that the team has been training on.
"I haven't had a huge look at it yet," he said.
"We trained here on Tuesday but I don't like looking at it [the pitch] that far out."
"The training wicket out the back has really surprised me with how much bounce there is though."
"When we were training there the other day it was like we were batting at the WACA."
"So that's encouraging for our guys because I know all our guys didn't want to leave the nets out there because they were so happy bowling."