The five-year-old pitch was given two early ticks of approval. Australia opted against fielding Michael Neser as a specialist fourth fast bowler, something they were considering if the surface had shaped as a "road", as had been the case over the past two years. That New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson decided to bowl first on a deck with good grass covering was another sign both teams were optimistic.

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When Trent Boult speared a yorker through Joe Burns's extravagant straight drive on the fourth ball of the morning, consigning the Queenslander to his first golden duck in Test cricket, commentators were also encouraged by what they had seen.

"I think so far the signs have been fantastic, there has been some swing, some seam," Shane Warne said 20 minutes into play on Fox Cricket.

He later added: "In this first hour-and-a-half it has played really well."

Former New Zealand gloveman Ian Smith agreed, as did former Australian captain Ricky Ponting on Channel Seven.

Boult extracted excellent seam and swing through his opening spell. Fellow new-ball seamer Tim Southee also had his moments, as did the nibbling medium-pace of Colin de Grandhomme, who after lunch surprised Marnus Labuschagne with bounce when he played on.

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As the pitch began to bake under the sun, it quickened up half an hour before lunch, and this played into the hands of Neil Wagner, and his short-pitched attack on Steve Smith and David Warner.

Smith, not wanting to fall into a trap of being caught at bat pad, front of square or at leg gully, was repeatedly hit on the body by the bumper king, and fended off one brute of a ball off his glove that, had he missed, would have hit him flush on the grille.

Labuschagne later said the pitch had been "hard work".

Page was left embarrassed when the Sheffield Shield clash between Victoria and Western Australia was abandoned earlier this month because the pitch had been deemed unsafe, having had too much moisture, leading to divots. Page had left moisture in this latest strip, highlighted when sawdust was dropped at both ends, but this time the balance was right.

The forecast for hot weather for the rest of this Test had meant a good level of moisture was needed.

"The pitch has played perfect, there hasn't been any uneven bounce. The bowlers don't like to see a slow, spongy surface - they like to see the ball hitting the keeper's gloves," former Test batsman Mark Waugh said.

The major question will be, as Mike Hussey pointed out, whether the pitch deteriorates from day three and provides spin and uneven bounce, helping to ensure one team wins.

"It has been a very good cricket pitch but it will be interesting to see if it deteriorates over the next few days. It generally doesn't," the former Test batsman said.