“Every opportunity you get to play in a Test series, you want to be able to win it and win it outright. That’s a reason why I’d like to see three matches at the minimum, and the big series with the Ashes, that’s always going to be the same [five], we’re not going to move that to seven or nine, my workload would go through the roof. But a minimum three Tests, in my opinion. would be ideal.”

Captain Pat Cummins was subjected to a sustained barrage of short-balls at the Australians’ first training session on Monday, as he worked both on evasion and also his hook shot.

The top four of Steve Smith, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne and Cameron Green concentrated on dealing with the moving ball, meanwhile, on what will be a well-grassed Wellington surface.

For Lyon and Australia, the series in New Zealand has been made more critical than otherwise by a surprise loss to the West Indies at the Gabba, courtesy of the inspirational Shamar Joseph.

Anything less than a series win here would put Cummins’ team in real danger of missing the 2025 World Championship final, with difficult assignments against India and in Sri Lanka still to come.

“You’ve got to respect when the opposition plays well, and they outplayed us that game, so we’re out here to make sure we do all the right things,” Lyon said. “We’re here to win this series 2-0.

“The WTC is a massive goal, it was a massive goal for us the last couple of years, and to be there and have won the second championship after New Zealand won the first one, every Test means something. For the Test players it is our World Cup.”

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