Josh Hazlewood has risen to the challenge of Australia's pace spearhead but the weight on his shoulders could be about to grow after an injury scare to Peter Siddle.
In another blow to Australia's depleted pace stocks, Siddle was off the Basin Reserve ground for long periods of the final session on Sunday due to back spasms.
Siddle's absence, however, has not halted Australia's push for victory in the first Test. The visitors could have the match wrapped up as early as Monday after another fruitful day in Wellington. 
They require six more wickets to go one-up in the two-match series, which would leave them needing only to draw next week to regain the No.1 Test ranking.
New Zealand finished the third day on 4-178, still 201 behind Australia, and they will be doing well to avoid an innings defeat. Siddle has bowled only eight overs in the second innings. It is the third time this summer he has been dogged by niggles. He battled a back problem during the day-night Test then spent more than a month on the sidelines after hurting his ankle during the Boxing Day Test.
His availability for the fourth day will hinge on how he responds to treatment but the team management are hopeful he will be fit. "It's a bit of a back spasm and they're never nice," Adam Voges said after play on Sunday. "We've got some good medicos who will look after him tonight and we're hopeful he'll be out there tomorrow."
Australia's pace ranks are already thin, with James Pattinson unable to play this match due to concerns over his ability to last the full game. He is not considered a certainty for the second Test.
The Kiwis were dealt a hammer blow late by Mitchell Marsh, who claimed the wicket of crowd favourite Brendon McCullum with the final delivery of the day.
Victory, however, is unlikely to be gifted to the Australians. The Kiwis showed far more purpose with the bat on Sunday than they did two days earlier, though conditions are now much easier for batting. The time for real application was Friday.
Hazlewood is revelling with the added responsibility of being Australia's pace leader. While Nathan Lyon claimed the spoils with two wickets, Hazlewood was the most penetrating member of the Australian attack.
The giant paceman claimed the prized scalp of Kane Williamson, who was near unstoppable in   November but now finds himself in a form trough. Williamson was dismissed for 22 after an engrossing contest with Hazlewood. He has passed 50 on only one of his last seven innings against Australia.
Meanwhile, New Zealand Cricket is confident the second Test will go ahead as planned despite a "severe" earthquake rocking Christchurch on Sunday.
The city was rocked by a magnitude 5.7 tremor on Sunday afternoon, which GeoNet rated as "severe", followed by an aftershock measuring 4.0 in the early evening. NZC says it has received reports from officials at Hagley Oval and management from the hotels where the teams and match officials are staying confirming they are "operating effectively".
"We're having a final report back tomorrow morning from engineers who will have a look," NZC's head of cricket Lindsay Crocker said. "Not expecting to find anything but we will do our due diligence anyway. At this stage we're concentrating on business as usual with the match progressing to Christchurch."
Next Monday marks the fifth anniversary of the 6.3 magnitude quake that killed 185 people. The second Test starts on Saturday.
New Zealand v Australia
At Basin Reserve, Wellington Stumps, day three
AUSTRALIA
Batsman Runs Balls
J BURNS c Watling b Southee 0 4
D WARNER c Watling b Southee 5 7
U KHAWAJA lbw Boult 140 216
S SMITH c & b Craig 71 112
A VOGES c & b Craig 239 364
M MARSH c & b Boult 0 2
P NEVILL c Watling b Anderson 32 94
P SIDDLE c Anderson b Bracewell 49 81
J HAZLEWOOD c Southee b Bracewell 8 10
N LYON c & b Anderson 3 24
J BIRD not out 3 15
Sundries (4b 3lb 2w 3nb) 12
Total All out 562
Fall: 0 (Burns), 5 (Warner), 131 (Smith), 299 (Khawaja), 299 (M Marsh), 395 (Nevill), 494 (Siddle), 508 (Hazlewood), 532 (Lyon), 562 (Voges).
Bowling: T Southee 31-5-87-2 (1w), T Boult 33-6-101-2, D Bracewell 33-4-127-2 (2nb), C Anderson 18-0-79-2 (1w 1nb), M Craig 35.2-2-153-2, K Williamson 4-0-8-0.
Batting time: 652 mins Overs: 152.2
NEW ZEALAND (2ND INNS)
Batsman Runs Balls
T LATHAM c Khawaja b Lyon 63 164
M GUPTILL c M Marsh b Lyon 45 55
K WILLIAMSON c Nevill b Hazlewood 22 44
H NICHOLLS not out 31 83
B McCULLUM lbw M Marsh 10 31
Sundries (1b 4lb 2nb) 7
Total Four wickets for 178
Fall:81 (Guptill), 121 (Williamson), 157 (Latham), 178 (McCullum).
Bowling: J Hazlewood 17-3-42-1, J Bird 11-2-26-0 (1nb), P Siddle 8-0-30-0, M Marsh 9.3-1-40-1 (1nb), N Lyon 17-6-35-2.
Batting time: 6256 mins Overs: 62.3
Umpires: R Illingworth, R Kettleborough
Match Referee: Chris Broad (ENG).
Third Umpire: Ranmore Martinesz (SRI).
SCOREBOARDFIRST TEST