Australia v New Zealand: All you need to know

When does it start? 

Fresh from the earliest ever start to a men's home international season with three ODIs against Zimbabwe in Townsville last week, the summer of cricket continues with three ODIs in Cairns from Tuesday, September 6.

It will be the first time Australia has hosted New Zealand for a white-ball series since the retro-kit series in March 2020 that was cancelled after one game, played in front of empty stands at the SCG, as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold.

Schedule

It's a whirlwind schedule, with three day-night ODIs in six days before New Zealand depart again:

– September 6, First ODI, Cairns, 2.20pm AEST

– September 8, Second ODI, Cairns, 2.20pm AEST

– September 11, Third ODI, Cairns, 2.20pm AEST

After three early starts against Zimbabwe, these matches are all day-night affairs at Cairns' Cazalys Stadium, with a 2.20pm AEST start-time, meaning 1:50pm in South Australia and 12.20pm for Western Australia.

This series will be followed by a week's break from on-field action for the players before the T20 squad heads to India for three matches that kick-start the build-up to the T20 World Cup on home soil in October and November.

Is it a full-strength Aussie side? 

Pretty much, although head coach Andrew McDonald has flagged there may be some tinkering with the XI in this series as both sides look ahead to next year's ODI World Cup in India. Test captain Pat Cummins has been rested, Travis Head is absent with his partner Jess due to give birth, and Mitch Marsh is on ice after tweaking his ankle in Townsville, but the rest of the squad is full of first-choice players. 

Mitch Starc is fresh from setting a new world record as the fastest man to 200 ODI wickets, and Josh Hazlewood reached the 100 ODI wicket milestone in Townsville as well. Marnus Labuschagne and Josh Inglis (a late call-up when Marsh was injured) have yet to feature for this summer, while seam-bowling allrounder Sean Abbott is also looking for his first taste of action.

Image Id: 1E5A9DBAA61E4F96936E0527B288FA3F Image Caption: Labuschagne in the nets on Monday // Getty

Captain Aaron Finch is under plenty of pressure after a tough series against the Zimbabweans, but he's got plenty of backing inside the team, with national selector George Bailey and head coach Andrew McDonald endorsing him this week.

How can I watch or listen?

Like all men's white-ball internationals in the country, the series will be broadcast exclusively in Australia on Fox Sports and Kayo subscription services.

Kayo offers a 14-day free trial for new subscribers, and you can sign up for that here.

ABC Grandstand will again be providing live radio commentary of the series, and SEN will also be covering this series. Both radio broadcasts can be streamed through the CA Live app and cricket.com.au match centre.

Image Id: 782AB7D48E0740E5BAE50283CE7FDE11 Image Caption: Finch chats with McDonald on Monday // Getty

What about live scores, news and highlights?

Where else but cricket.com.au and the CA Live app for everything you'll need for before, during and after each ODI. As well as live scores, we'll have highlights of every key moment to go with reports, breaking news, analysis and interviews from our reporters throughout the tour.

You can also catch up on all the latest news via The Unplayable Podcast, where we will be joined by special guests to dissect all the talking points throughout the series. Listen and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts and anywhere else you get your pods.

Where on earth is Cazalys Stadium?

Even further north than Townsville! Cazalys Stadium is about a 10-minute drive out the Cairns CBD, located approximately 1700kms north of Brisbane.

The ground hosted two Test matches back in 2003 and 2004 when the Australian Cricket Board (now Cricket Australia) flirted with the idea of hosting regular winter home Tests.

Although there have been irregular domestic games scheduled at the ground, this will be the first international match in 18 years.

Image Id: 8B2AD585BE6D4E79A3C8C5622926CE4D Image Caption: Shane Warne acknowledges the Cairns crowd after equalling Muthiah Muralidaran’s then record of 527 Test wickets in July 2004 // Getty

Squads

Australia: Aaron Finch (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa

New Zealand: Finn Allen, Trent Boult, Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham (wk), Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Ben Sears, Tim Southee, Kane Williamson (c)

What's the head-to-head? 

Australia and New Zealand have played 138 times in one-day cricket since their first clash in 1974 with Australia winning 92, New Zealand 39, and seven NRs.

New Zealand held the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy with a 2-0 win in 2016-17, but Australia technically won it back with their 1-0 win in 2020 after the second and third matches were postponed due to the Covid outbreak.

Form guide

After narrow series losses away from home against Pakistan (2-1) and Sri Lanka (3-2), the Aussies claimed a series win in Townsville with their 2-1 victory over Zimbabwe.

However defeat in the third one-dayer, their first ever home loss to Zimbabwe, was a performance far below the potential of the Australian side.

For the Kiwis, they haven’t lost an ODI series since that Covid-interrupted loss to Australia in 2020, winning five straight; 3-0 over Bangladesh, 3-0 over Netherlands, 3-0 over Ireland, 1-0 over Scotland and most recently, 2-1 over West Indies.

ODI Super League

The what? In case you missed it, qualification for next year's ODI World Cup in India is dependent on the standings in the ODI Super League. Essentially, the top eight teams automatically qualify and the bottom five play off for the remaining two spots. New Zealand are sitting comfortably up in fourth with 11 wins from their 12 ODIs played so far, while Australia eased up to seventh with nine wins from 15 ODIs after their 2-1 series win over Zimbabwe last week.

Kit watch

Last time these two teams met in an ODI in Australia it was in retro kits, with the Aussies wearing a 1999 World Cup inspired strip and yellow batting helmets and the New Zealanders in teal.

Image Id: F4373D1F6E3541DEAAA34243F77360B4 Image Caption: The opposing kits last time around // Getty

There will be no reprise this series, but Australia will again roll out the superb Indigenous-themed kit they wore against Zimbabwe.

The design, which is also available for purchase as an authentic replica kit, was first worn by Meg Lanning's Australian team in their three ODIs against England in February, and the Aussie men also wore it abroad in Pakistan earlier this year.

Purchase a replica of the Indigenous kit via the Official Cricket Shop.

Image Id: https://www.cricket.com.au/~/media/News/2021/11/24Indigenous-Kit-embed?la=en&hash=F17AF454121DC0833506E8E02C9B2A07E5AC2E2F