AUSTRALIA'S incompetence against the moving ball was once again exposed in embarrassing fashion at Eden Park yesterday, as alarm bells started ringing ahead of the bid to reclaim the world's No.1 Test ranking in nine days.
All New Zealand's quicks had to do in the opening one-dayer was find a little bit of swing and Australia predictably collapsed. 
The 6/41 capitulation was the first time Australia has lost six wickets in the first 10 overs of an ODI, and falling for 148 batting second meant it couldn't even get past the infamous 151-all out mark it experienced during last year's World Cup.
It was Groundhog Day for Australia. When the ball swings, it simply can't compete. New Zealand looked as though it was 50 runs short with a total of 8/307 after being sent in by Steve Smith, but it ended up being good enough by a staggering 159 runs in one of Australian cricket's great horror shows.
The loss does not change the fact Australia is an outstanding one-day outfit, but the warning signs leading into the Test series couldn't be any more ominous.
Australia might have destroyed the Black Caps and the West Indies on the flat tracks at home, but yesterday's disastrous performance indicated it has once again learnt nothing from the Ashes hiding it copped in similar conditions in England last year.
Swing bowling is like kryptonite to Australia's batsmen, and with coach Darren Lehmann still grounded in Sydney with deep vein thrombosis, the pressure to turn around the hoodoo away from home is well and truly on.
At the moment caretaker coach Michael Di Venuto is 0-4 as Lehmann's replacement, not that he should be taking any blame.
With its most in-form batsman Usman Khawaja watching from the sidelines, a sad procession took place out in the middle as Australia lost all 10 wickets inside 25 overs - lasting nearly eight overs less than it did in the World Cup match last year.
Rain is predicted for match two in Wellington on Saturday, meaning Australia may already have lost the chance to bring home the Chappell-Hadlee one-day trophy.
But the major concern is what this means for Australia's Test hopes. It has had its sights on the No.1 Test ranking for some time, which it can achieve by winning the two-match series against the Black Caps, but it's living in a fantasy land unless it can somehow learn to survive when the ball is doing a bit.
Trent Boult and Tim Southee would be licking their lips.
Shaun Marsh was the first to go yesterday, nicking off for 5 and exposing the foolishness of having Khawaja running drinks.
Smith looked troubled from the get-go and eventually had little idea about a Matt Henry (3/41) delivery to be bowled for 18.
New Zealand was set up by Martin Guptill's 90 and a blistering 44-run from retiring captain Brendon McCullum.
NEW ZEALAND V AUSTRALIA FIRST ODI, AUCKLAND New Zealand Guptill run out (Maxwell) 90 (76) McCullum b Faulkner44 (29) Williamson c Marsh b Hazlewood0 (8) Nicholls c Wade b Marsh61 (67) Elliott c Hastings b Marsh21 (18) Anderson c Richardson b Hastings10 (20) Ronchi b Hazlewood16 (26) Santner not out35 (39) Milne c & b Faulkner14 (10) Henry not out5 (7) Extras (b1, lb3, w7) 11 TOTAL(8 wickets for) 307 Fall: 79, 81, 181, 205, 231, 234, 263, 290.
Bowling: Hazlewood 10-1-68-2, Richardson 10-1-64-0, Hastings 10-0-39-1, Faulkner 10-0-67-2, Maxwell 3-0-30-0, Marsh 7-0-35-2.
Overs: 50.
Australia S Marsh c Guptill b Henry5 (7) Warner lbw Boult12 (28) Smith b Henry18 (14) Bailey c Anderson b Henry2 (11) Maxwell c Williamson b Boult0 (6) M Marsh c McCullum b Bult0 (6) Wade c Nicholls b Anderson37 (58) Faulkner c Williamson b Santner19 (13) Hastings c Guptill b Santner8 (20) Richardson c Williamson b Santner19 (13) Hazlewood not out0 (1) Extras (2lb 9w)11 TOTAL148 Fall: 10, 33, 39, 40, 40, 41, 120, 121, 148, 148.
Bowling: Boult 7-0-38-3, Henry 6-0-41-3, Milne 6-0-46-1, Anderson 4-1-14-1, Elliott 1-0-7-0, Santner 0.2-0-0-2.
Overs: 24.2Result: NZ won by 159 runs.