Ross Taylor hopes a new approach to training and some assistance from Martin Crowe will help the New Zealand batsmen in their quest for runs in the first Test against Australia, which begins on Friday.
While there has been much talk about whether New Zealand can take 20 wickets at Wellington's Basin Reserve without Shane Bond in the Test bowling line-up, Taylor said the key to his side posting a decent total was spending time at the crease - something the batsmen have had mixed success with in recent Tests against Bangladesh and Pakistan.
In an attempt to overcome the issue, the right-hander revealed training sessions had been lengthened and match conditions simulated.
"We're trying to simulate as much of a game condition as we can - batting and simulating drinks breaks and sessions as well," he explained.
"I guess quite often you can bat very well for a session and then come out and lose a wicket straight away."
"We're training for three-and-a-half, four hours because traditionally if you want to get a Test hundred you've got to bat for over four-and-a-bit hours to do that. It's been good and hopefully it works."
Crowe, who has worked individually with Taylor, Martin Guptill and Tim McIntosh recently, has donned the tracksuit after being invited back into the New Zealand fold by coach Mark Greatbatch.
New Zealand's top order of BJ Watling, McIntosh and Peter Ingram has just 14 Tests and one century between them and Taylor felt the former New Zealand great's insight was proving useful.
"Martin has been good for me. I've enjoyed working with him and I think the other guys have taken a lot from him as well," said the 26-year-old batsman.
"(His message has been) about getting forward until we're getting pushed back (by the bowlers)."
"Australia in the past have come at us hard and bowled a lot of short deliveries and put pressure on us that way."
"If the practice wickets (at the Basin Reserve) are anything to go by the wicket will have a bit of bounce and true bounce at that, so we're expecting that."
"Not only that but quite often you play the short ball okay but it's what comes after the short ball so we've got to be ready."
"Over the next couple of days we just need to bat as much as we can and simulate what we can expect the Australians to come at us with."
Australia is likely to have a well-rounded attack of Doug Bollinger, either Clint McKay or the uncapped Ryan Harris, Mitchell Johnson, Shane Watson and Nathan Hauritz.
Johnson has been earmarked for the first-change role and is likely to enjoy having Wellington's notorious wind at his back.
"They've been pretty good. They've used Mitchell Johnson as an attacking weapon and quite often when he's come back he's picked up a wicket and then Ricky (Ponting) has taken him off," Taylor said.
"He's going to be a big factor for them."
"He's bowled very well over the last 18 months. But Bollinger had a very good Test series over there against Pakistan and West Indies."
"Harris, I think, is yet to make his Test debut but hopefully we can negate them and take them into four or five sessions and see how they are after being out in the park with the wind blowing around all day."
New Zealand bowling coach Shane Jurgensen believes it could be harder for Australia to adjust to the tough conditions, given it is not as used to them as the New Zealanders.
"If you're going to bowl into the wind it's really about consistency. It's about every over, every ball and it's a drain on the brain obviously," he said.
"It can wear you down particularly against a team like Australia but probably our guys might be a little bit more used to it."
"The wind is a critical factor. It's difficult to adjust and it's about the bowler himself being as balanced as possible when they run in."
"There are a lot of positives about bowling into the wind. The ball will swing and it's just a matter of trying to create that consistency. Once you get used to the wind it can be quite a useful weapon."