Australian captain Steve Smith says he and his teammates will have to curb their usual batting instincts if they are to cope with the swing expected in New Zealand and secure the top Test ranking.
The captain on Saturday morning will lead the first contingent of Australian players flying to New Zealand. Rather than immediately focusing on the two Tests he will be in white-ball mode for the first week, at the helm of the one-day team.
The rapid shift from Australia's home summer to the tour against the Black Caps has meant there was not time for a tour match, as is typical before Test series. 
Cricket Australia trumpeted a Sheffield Shield match between NSW and Western Australia, to be played in Lincoln near Christchurch, as a way to lessen that impact. Only three Test-squad members - Peter Nevill, Nathan Lyon, Adam Voges - will play in that match, with Smith, David Warner, Josh Hazlewood, Mitch Marsh and Shaun Marsh to instead play in the one-dayers.
The players outside the one-day squad who aren't from NSW or WA will instead play in the shield in Australia next week before flying to New Zealand.
Smith made it clear he would not be whingeing about the absence of a tour match, which would mean only Nevill, Lyon and Voges would have played a red-ball match in New Zealand before the first Test.
"It is what it is," the captain said on Friday. "We've played a lot of cricket this summer. Everyone will be playing some form of cricket, whether it's one-day cricket or the shield match. I think it's adequate preparation . . . we'll be ready to go for that series."
Smith said he expected bowler-friendly pitches for the one-dayers as well as the two Tests, and that Trent Boult would post a significant threat in both.
"He looked like he was back to his best in the last couple of Tests here. He got a bit more work into his body and he was ready to go," Smith said of the left-armer, who was early in his comeback from a back injury for this summer's series in Australia.
"He's done very well for New Zealand recently, he bowls extremely well in New Zealand, so he's going to be a tough one for us. But guys know what to expect. Hopefully the batters can combat whatever he brings at us."
Australia's inability to win in England again last year reiterated their vulnerability to swing bowling. The captain confirmed they would have to go against their batting instincts in order to do better against the Black Caps.
"It's very difficult to do. When you grow up in Australia you can play out in front a little bit more, and in those conditions you've got to play under your eyes so your nicks don't carry and you're not getting out in front," Smith said.
"It's hard to train [for]. You sort of have to get away from everything that you learn growing up and try for a new technique, in a way. Hopefully the guys can do that and adapt, to all the conditions around the world."
The Black Caps have never lost a home Test under the leadership combination of captain Brendon McCullum and coach Mike Hesson, and have won six of their past seven. Their most recent loss was against South Africa in   March 2012.
If Australia are able to win the two-match series they will officially snare the No.1 team ranking for Tests - and the $1 million prizemoney that comes with it, for which team is atop at the end of the annual cut-off period. The Black Caps' motivation to extend that will be increased by the series being the last for McCullum before his international retirement from all formats.
"It's a big challenge. They've played very good cricket at home . . . an aggressive brand of cricket, and we're going to have to be at our best if we're going to beat them," Smith said. "The guys know what to expect and we're ready for whatever it is they bring at us . . . hopefully we have a successful tour there."
SQUAD: Steve Smith (c), Jackson Bird, Joe Burns, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Peter Nevill, James Pattinson, Peter Siddle, Chadd Sayers, Adam Voges, David Warner.