A wiser Brett Lee will begin his summer of reckoning tomorrow with an instruction to blast out New Zealand's shaky top order in the First Test at the Gabba.

Lee will celebrate his 25th birthday tomorrow as part of the potent pace attack with Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie, but without the momentum which propelled him into last year's home summer.

The right-armer struck his first rough patch in Test cricket when he took just nine wickets in the recent Ashes series at a poor average of 55.11, blowing out his remarkable rookie statistics.

But he is still expected to beat hometown favourite Andrew Bichel for the final bowling spot, with captain Steve Waugh predicting Lee can rediscover the touch which earned him 18 wickets at 17.50 in his last series in New Zealand.

"He'll be nervous coming into the Test but he is a great talent and if he gets it right he will trouble New Zealand in the same way he did 18 months ago," Waugh said.

"It is a good challenge for him and something every player needs.

"He took 42 wickets in his first seven Tests at an average of 15 and probably thought Test cricket was an easy game.

"In some ways it is good to have a bit of leveller and to assess your game and go back to basics. It will be good for him and he will come back better for it."

Lee's golden run was always going to end at some time and now he has the chance to prove he can bounce back by lighting some fireworks under a batting order yet to prove itself in Australia.

Black Caps openers Mark Richardson and Matthew Bell struggled in their last two lead-in matches and the pair will be given a thorough workout by a pace attack which rarely gives batsmen a break.

Kiwi No.3 Mathew Sinclair is also unproven against McGrath, Gillespie and Lee despite crashing two double centuries in less than two years of Test cricket.

The Kiwis must also think about Shane Warne's outstanding Gabba record after Waugh predicted the slow bowlers could cause problems on a wicket which played like an airport runway for a tour match last weekend.

"It is not as grassy as it normally is up here and it should suit the spinners at some stage, probably earlier than normal," Waugh said.

"Whoever wins the toss will have an interesting choice ... I am hoping to lose it."

The coin toss is the only area in which bookmakers expect New Zealand to mount a serious challenge against Australia, rolling the Black Caps out to odds of 15-1 to win the series.

But Waugh again painted the Kiwis as intense competitors, especially armed with the bowling of left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori and paceman Dion Nash.

That pair is almost certain to play after recovering from injuries, giving New Zealand an attack which is capable of bowling out Australia twice.

"They will be fired up tomorrow morning. They will come steaming is and give it to us," Waugh said.

"We have to make sure we are sharp and well focused and ready to go. Last time New Zealand caught us a bit on the hop on the first morning of the Test match."

Australia: Steve Waugh (capt), Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Ricky Ponting, Mark Waugh, Damien Martyn, Adam Gilchrist, Brett Lee, Shane Warne, Jason Gillespie, Glenn McGrath, Andrew Bichel (12th man to be named).

New Zealand (likely team): Stephen Fleming (capt), Mark Richardson, Matthew Bell, Mathew Sinclair, Nathan Astle, Craig McMillan, Chris Cairns, Adam Parore, Daniel Vettori, Dion Nash, Shayne O'Connor.

© 2001 AAP