New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori is comfortable as the 'underdog' moving into Friday's Test match against Australia at the Basin Reserve in Wellington.
After losing the recent one-day international Chappell-Hadlee series to Australia, the odds are stacked against New Zealand in the two-Test series.
New Zealand has not beaten Australia in a test match since 1993 and will be hard pressed to reverse that record with an inexperienced side coming up against a very good Australian team that has won five Tests over the summer.
Vettori knew a win will be hard to come by but felt everything was in place for a good New Zealand performance regardless.
"In terms of preparation we're as good as we can be, but preparation doesn't mean anything if we can't back it up tomorrow morning and the four days of the Test match," said the 31-year-old.
"Australia has been one of the form Test teams for quite a while and they've played some really good Test cricket. Our Test cricket has been that great of late but we did play well against Pakistan."
"We're hoping the good performances we put in against Pakistan will be translated into the games against Australia."
After recent successes against Pakistan and Bangladesh, New Zealand's season has been relatively successful but Vettori knows the true test of a team is how it performs when it's backed up against the wall.
"It'll play a pretty big part in it [defining the season]," said Vettori, who will play his 100th Test for New Zealand in the second match of the series.
"It's been a pretty good season up until now and if we could've won the Chappell-Hadlee series it would've been even better."
"To finish off well in the Test match form would be key of us because that's the area we've struggled with."
Given the nature of the Basin Reserve pitch, it looks as though Vettori will give right-arm quick Brent Arnel his first taste of international Test cricket instead of using Jeetan Patel as a second spin option.
The Northern Districts veteran has well and truly earned his stripes in domestic cricket, but will face an entirely new task against the destructive Australian batting line-up.
Vettori has faith in his new man however and feels he deserves a shot at the highest level.
"The nature of the pitch brings Brent Arnel into the equation," said Vettori.
"We'll have a good hard look at it tomorrow, it will have a bit of drying today but it's probably going to be a typical Wellington wicket; a little bit in it early on then flattens out to a really good test match wicket."
"He [Arnel] has been waiting in the wings for a while and been involved in a few squads. Hopefully if he does get the nod then he is ready. He's been bowling really well and that's the main thing."
Likely New Zealand XI:
Tim McIntosh, BJ Watling, Peter Ingram, Ross Taylor, Martin Guptill, Daniel Vettori (capt), Brendon McCullum (wk), Daryl Tuffey, Tim Southee, Brent Arnel, Chris Martin.