Mitch Santner will lead New Zealand in their T20I series against Australia. Photo: Photosport
Black Caps captain Mitch Santner believes the key to competing against Australia is reducing the damage caused by the visitors' explosive top order.
The first of three T20 Internationals is in Wellington on Wednesday and Santner is under no illusions as to the challenge that lies ahead.
"A whole series against Australia is pretty exciting, we know how good they're going to be and how explosive their team is. For us it's just trying to stay in for as long as we can and see what happens."
"Coming off that series against West Indies they had some pretty high scoring games so finding ways to build pressure and get wickets through that is probably key."
The Chappell-Hadlee Trophy will be on the line during the series and the opening game will be played in front of the biggest crowd Wellington Stadium has seen for cricket since the 2015 Cricket World Cup.
New Zealand has been dealt an early blow with injuries to Daryl Mitchell, Kyle Jameison, Matt Henry and Tim Seifert as well as normal skipper Kane Williamson missing games through paternity leave.
Santner said this will provide a chance for others to stamp their mark.
"I guess there is some good opportunities for some newer guys to experience playing Australia at home which they might not have had the chance to do, not for a few years anyway."
Despite the injury concerns, the Black Caps are embracing their status as underdogs.
"We are used to that tag, we don't think much of it. We just try to do our thing."
Santner says while it's been a long time since the Aussies visited our shores, the rivalry will be no less intense.
"It's pretty special, obviously have played a lot of Chappel Hadlee one dayers in the past so to have this as a T20 comp and any sort of white ball going forward is great. We don't play Australia as much as we probably should but the trans-Tasman clash is always fun, the crowds always turn up."
The first T20I get underway at 7.10pm.
-RNZ