The Black Caps take on Australia in the first Test in Wellington on Thursday looking to banish the demons that have haunted the team for a generation.
It has been 31 years since New Zealand last beat Australia in a home Test match, a five-wicket win at Eden Park in 1993.
A lot has changed since then. The internet launched the same year, the Channel Tunnel between the UK and France was yet to open, Jim Bolger was prime minister, the European Union was yet to be established and the likes of Justin Bieber and Harry Styles weren't even born.
The late great Martin Crowe captained the Black Caps in that Test match. Danny Morrison took 6 for 37, while a 23-year-old Shane Warne showed signs of what was to come with figures of 4 for 8 from 15 overs. Retrospectively, this Australian side was full of great names: Mark Taylor, David Boon, Justin Langer, Damien Martyn, Steve Waugh, Allan Border, Merv Hughes, Warne, but it was one of transition, some players ageing and others finding their feet in international cricket.
New Zealand's team was more settled. John Wright and Mark Greatbatch opened, with Andrew Jones, Crowe and Ken Rutherford filling out the middle order. A young Chris Harris was there, as was spinner Dipak Patel.
At the conclusion of that Test, New Zealand had won five, lost five and drawn six Tests against their trans-Tasman rivals on home soil. But that was about when the good times ended. The Black Caps have lost nine and drawn one since then — and the draw would've been a loss had it not been for rain coming to the rescue.
Eight years ago was supposed to be the most competitive series between the teams in decades, yet Australia completely annihilated Brendon McCullum's side, even with the outgoing captain blasting the fastest century in Test history in Christchurch.
It's unlikely things will get any easier this time around. Australia are defending world Test champions and boast arguably the world's best bowling attack of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon. Combined they have taken just short of 1400 wickets. Despite David Warner's retirement, a top order of Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head is equally as tricky to dismantle.
The injury-gods haven't been kind to the Black Caps ahead of this series either. Kyle Jamieson is a huge loss, his bounce and seam movement would have been an excellent weapon for Tim Southee to call upon. Devon Conway, while struggling for form, is another major blow, and his absence from the first Test means someone, likely Rachin Ravindra or Will Young, is going to be thrown into the fire and asked to open alongside Tom Latham.
Ultimately, New Zealand needs to lean on its experienced leaders if they are going to beat the Aussies. Kane Williamson's outrageously good purple patch will need to continue, Southee will need to have the ball on a string, while Latham will need to put his past woes against Australia behind him. Daryl Mitchell's return will be a boost, but if New Zealand are to have any chance of winning a Test, never mind the series, they will need to be at their very best.
Given Neil Wagner's shock retirement yesterday after being informed he wouldn't be part of the first XI in the first Test, it seems like Will O'Rourke will get an opportunity to back up his excellent record-breaking debut. This will be a true test for the youngster, up against the world's best. The tall Cantabrian boasts many of the same attributes as Jamieson, but can he stay composed and confident if the Australians try and go after him?
The same applies to Ravindra. He has blossomed in the last six months, following up his World Cup performances with a double century against South Africa and a quickfire 68 against the Aussies in the T20 in Wellington last week. But his technique is going to be given a serious working over by Cummins and Hazlewood in particular. How he fares may be an indicator of how close or far from stardom he is.
The Black Caps can take solace from the fact this Australian team are certainly not unbeatable like perhaps others had been in the past. A bit of magic from the unproven Shamar Joseph led the West Indies to their first win in Australia in 27 years last month — can someone conjure up the same for New Zealand?
The home side will enter the series as underdogs, a tag under which they have often thrived. Shaking off three decades of hurt will be tough, but not impossible, and what better place to do it than in front of a full house at the Basin Reserve. Whatever happens, Kiwi fans will want to see their side fight to the bitter end.
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