The “outs” including injured stars Kane Williamson and Trent Boult. 

That meant a callow XI featuring two frontline spinners; so of course stand-in skipper Tom Latham lost the toss and was forced to bowl first on a docile pitch under cloudless skies.

The popgun Kiwi attack celebrated the wicket of Joe Burns (18) before lunch and David Warner (45) shortly afterwards but they then had to admire another massive partnership between Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith. Labuschagne, who remains unbeaten on 130, batted superbly all day for his fourth Test century this summer.

He offered a couple of edges through the cordon but they went into gaps that were not plugged. He scored heavily on the on-side but most handsomely through the off, cover-driving gloriously at regular intervals.

By contrast, Smith took an age to get in, and 39 balls to even get off the mark.

Once he settled he looked assured without being fluent, but again found the doldrums late in his innings before eventually perishing for 63, edging the second new ball to first slip.

Colin de Grandhomme took two of the wickets to fall, Neil Wagner the other, but it was a long day in the field for New Zealand who bowled without penetration and fielded without intensity. Tomorrow, with temperatures pushing 40C, promises to be even more punishing.