Nathan Astle has played Australia often enough in his 201 one-day international career not to be sucked into believing the absence of Glenn McGrath will make New Zealand's job any easier in the Chapppell-Hadlee series which starts on Saturday at Eden Park.
While it would affect the way Australia bowled, and fast man Brett Lee especially, Astle was sure the players being given their chance would be keen to make their mark.
"I think it puts a bit more pressure on Brett Lee if anyone. He bowls in tandem with McGrath because he bowls tight."
"It will be interesting how he bowls."
The desire to knock the top off the batting would be the same.
"As far as we're concerned, not having McGrath and with a couple of inexperienced bowlers we might get a little more to hit," he said.
If Lee struggles at the start the pressure will then go on the inexperienced bowlers but with their play in Australia he is sure they are good enough to adapt to international cricket.
Astle is New Zealand's most successful one-day batsman having scored 6406 runs in his career at a strike rate of 72.37 but he had a disappointing tour of South Africa and faces the Chappell-Hadlee series in the new role of vice-captain, a role he sees himself in more of an advisory capacity.
His disappointment in South Africa was matched by the team, especially after being so dominant in the series played in New Zealand two summers ago.
"We go through so many international series, and you can't win every series."
"We were very disappointed over there. We went over there with high hopes, especially after what we did to them back here, and obviously it didn't work out for us over there."
"It's in the past, we've looked at stuff we can improve on. It has been and gone and if you dwell on that you're just going to get yourself in a lot more trouble," he said.
- LYNN McCONNELL