McMillan backs NZ to succeed against seam

The tourism ads sell New Zealand as being clean, green and pristine. With so many unspoilt vistas and arresting landscapes, that is not a difficult task.

There are minor scratches on that perception. Some conservationists argue that parts of the Waikato river is swimming with farming effluent, while plenty also believe the country doesn't take its climate change responsibilities seriously enough.

But at least New Zealand's Test grounds champion the national reputation wholeheartedly, and perhaps none do it better than the newly-accredited Hagley Oval. From the periphery which is flush deciduous trees, to the grass bank whose verdant circuit is interrupted only briefly by the single-story pavilion and three makeshift marquees, Christchurch's new ground is alluringly green. As Sri Lanka are the touring side, perhaps it's only natural that the pitch is a similar hue, two days before the match.

"It's fair to say it's going to favour the quicks," Craig McMillan, the New Zealand batting coach, said. "The fast bowlers have certainly got a smile on their faces. Coming from the UAE, where there was no bounce and the ball turned, now we're going to turn up here where there's going to be seam and swing, plus some extra bounce. Everyone is pretty excited about this Boxing Day. There's been a lot of hype around it, so it's going to be a special occasion."

New Zealand cricket's thinking appears to be to provide pace-friendly surfaces everywhere, to make optimum use of home conditions, just as Sri Lanka prepare dustbowls in Galle.

The pitch to be used in the match is one of five strips on the square built from Kakanui soil, which is especially conducive to pace and bounce. There is visible excitement in the New Zealand camp about the nature of the surface, but they have also not allowed themselves to forget other strategic concerns. New Zealand can field both Neil Wagner and Doug Bracewell in addition to Trent Boult and Tim Southee, but McMillan suggested the team were wary of selecting an all-pace attack.

"Playing four seamers is an option, and it's something we'll discuss," he said. "But there's also a lot of left-handers in that Sri Lankan batting line up, so the offspinner Mark Craig becomes quite important.

"I don't think anyone is ahead in the Bracewell-Wagner race. It's going to be a tough call, whichever way the selectors decide to go. Both players have done the job beautifully when they've been asked, and it's unfortunate that someone will probably have to miss out."

McMillan said New Zealand were also wary of Sri Lanka, whom he described as "underrated, especially when they tour overseas," but backed his batsmen to deal with the seam and swing Sri Lanka's bowlers would generate from the pitch.

"This pitch doesn't look any different to what we had against India and West Indies last season," he said. "From memory we didn't win too many tosses in those two series. We batted first in most of those conditions, and if that happens again, we know we've done it before and we can do it again. Having just returned from the UAE, we've talked to the batters a lot about making subtle adjustments, over the past two days. Hopefully they will make those and come out on Boxing Day."

The Test is also Christchurch's first in eight years, with the last match also having featured the same teams, in 2006. The hiatus, since 2010, is a result of former venue Lancaster Park having suffered irreparable damage in the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes. McMillan, a Canterbury local, spoke on how much the return of Test cricket means to the city.

"Christchurch has missed international cricket over the last four or five years. As a young kid growing up, I spent a lot of time at Lancaster Park watching international cricket, and was lucky enough to play international cricket at Lancaster Park. To have our own cricket ground now in the middle of the city, and for it to be so picturesque - that's fantastic. We've got a sell out on Boxing Day and the weather is going to be good - you couldn't have set it up any better. It makes you very proud to be a Cantabrian when you see what we have in the middle of the city."