"They’ve all grown up watching the Boxing Day Test, whoever’s sort of been involved. So it’s quite cool to be a part of. But it’s also about removing a little bit of that and just bringing the focus back to the cricket and making sure we make some of those improvements that we need to, to put a better performance."

The Black Caps were crunched by 296 runs under lights in Perth last week, and few have given the tourists any chance of rebounding in Melbourne. They have made two changes, with Jeet Raval axed for makeshift opener Tom Blundell, and spearhead Trent Boult replacing the injured Lockie Ferguson.

Should the tourists be beaten in this Test, they are in danger of losing their hold on second spot on the International Cricket Council's rankings - a rating that has befuddled Michael Vaughan, the former England captain and now Fox Cricket commentator.

"I will be dead honest about the ICC rankings. I think they are absolute garbage. I have no idea how - New Zealand have won plenty of series over the course of the last two years - but for them to be second, and where it stands out for me that the rankings can't be right is that England in Test match cricket are third, and England for three or four years have struggled in Test match cricket, particularly overseas," Vaughan said.

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"They have won series at home. They have only just drawn the Ashes in English conditions, they only just beat Ireland. I think the rankings are a little bit confusing. I certainly don't, in my opinion, have New Zealand as the second best Test match nation in the world. I think, particularly over here in Australia, Australia are a far better Test match team."

The Australians sit fifth on the traditional rankings but second on the new world Test championship. India are atop of both tables.

In fairness to the Black Caps, they had won eight of their past 10 series, including a 1-0 series defeat of England, before arriving on Australian shores, and drew 1-1 in Sri Lanka, a country Australia was crushed 3-0 in three years ago.

Vaughan insists there is only one country that can trouble the Australians on home shores - India - and eagerly awaits next summer's showdown.

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"I think there are two teams, India and Australia, they are the best Test match teams in the world, without question. I think there is only one team that can come here and put Australia under pressure, that was 12 months ago, that they won here, India," he said.

"There was no Smith, no Warner, no [Marnus] Labuschagne in the Australian ranks in that series, I think the series later on next year, when India arrive back here, hopefully everyone will be fit. That Indian attack has got the pace, it has also got the spin, the batting unit has got all the experience. I only see only one team at this stage that can compete with Australia here and that is India."