Brendon McCullum
Brendon McCullum will play his final Test series for New Zealand against Australia Getty

New Zealand will take on Australia in the first of the two Tests scheduled between the two nations at Basin Reserve, Wellington from 12- 16 February.

Where to watch live

Match starts at 9.30pm GMT (on Thursday). Live TV coverage is available on Sky Sports 3 and Sky Sports 3 HD. Click here for the live streaming link.

Overview

New Zealand come into this fixture after defeating Australia in the three-match One Day International (ODI) series 2-1 earlier this week. The ODI series was Brendon McCullum's last one, in which the Black Caps were able to help their skipper end the limited over format on a high.

McCullum has announced retirement from international cricket and the two match Test series will be his last two matches for New Zealand. He has a few concerns for the opening match as Mitchell Santner is injured and Neil Wagner is left out, while Ross Taylor is still not fit for the Wellington Test.

Henry Nicholls is likely to replace Taylor and should that happen, the former will make his Test debut for the Kiwis. Corey Anderson and Mark Craig will fill in for Santner and Wagner.

Australia
Steven Smith will be hoping Australia can bounce back in the Test series following a 2-1 defeat in the ODI series Getty

For Australia, Peter Siddle, who missed the West Indies Test, returns to action. His experience will be vital for the visitors as they look to pick wickets at regular intervals and also stop New Zealand from posting a mammoth total.

James Pattinson is dropped and Jackson Bird has been given the nod ahead of the former as the third seamer in the team. Josh Hazlewood is the second choice pacer with Nathan Lyon the only recognised spinner in the squad.

Prediction

New Zealand to win

Betting Odds (betfair)

  • New Zealand to win: 7/5
  • Draw: 16/5
  • Australia to win: 5/4

Team News

New Zealand

Squad: Martin Guptill, Tom Latham, Kane Williamson, Henry Nicholls, Brendon McCullum (c), Corey Anderson, BJ Watling (wk), Doug Bracewell, Mark Craig, Tim Southee, Trent Boult

Australia

Squad: David Warner, Joe Burns, Usman Khawaja, Steven Smith (c), Adam Voges, Mitchell Marsh, Peter Nevill (wk), Peter Siddle, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Jackson Bird

New Zealand Australia