Black Caps confirm two changes for Boxing Day

New Zealand have confirmed two changes to their XI for the Boxing Day Test, with pace ace Trent Boult to return from injury while Tom Blundell will replace Jeet Raval at the top of the order.

Black Caps skipper Kane Williamson confirmed his line-up on Christmas morning as his team went through their paces for a final time before the start of the second Domain Test.

Left-armer Boult missed the first Test in Perth after injuring his ribs and side in a Test against England last month.

Blundell opened for the Black Caps in place of Raval in a tour match on Sunday, scoring 59 before being retired against a Victorian XI in Melbourne.

Having played just two Tests previously in 2017, Blundell is on the tour as a back-up wicketkeeper and batsman and has previously been used in the middle order.

"He’s a positive player and at the same time a smarter cricketer ... it’s important he goes out and looks to play his natural game," Williamson said on Wednesday.

Raval has averaged just 7.3 in his past nine Test innings and New Zealand need change after he scored just one in each innings of their 296-run Test loss in Perth last week.

On Tuesday, New Zealand quick Tim Southee said the Black Caps had refused to completely wipe their Perth pink-ball horror show from memory.

The Kiwis' lack of experience in day-night Tests showed at Optus Stadium, crumbling to a 296-run defeat against Australia to open the series.

Despite the Trans-Tasman battle reverting back to the red-ball for Boxing Day, quick Tim Southee said the team analysed their first Test performance thoroughly.

"It's different, the pink ball...but I don't think you park it," Southee told reporters on Tuesday.

"There's things we did well in Perth, there's things we didn't do so well.

"I think the strength of the group is we look at those areas and we look to improve, we're always looking to improve.

"Although it was a different type of Test cricket, there's still things we learned from that."

New Zealand will play their first Boxing Day Test at the MCG since 1987, with a crowd of about 75,000 expected for day one.

Domain Test Series v New Zealand

Australia squad: David Warner, Joe Burns, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Matthew Wade, Travis Head, Tim Paine (c, wk), Pat Cummins, Mitch Starc, Nathan Lyon, James Pattinson, Michael Neser, Peter Siddle

New Zealand: Todd Astle, Tom Blundell, Trent Boult, Colin de Grandhomme, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, Jeet Raval, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, BJ Watling, Neil Wagner, Kane Williamson (c)

First Test: Australia won by 296 runs in Perth

Second Test: December 26-30, MCG (Seven, Fox & Kayo)

Third Test: January 3-7, SCG (Seven, Fox & Kayo)