Identifying the 50/50 situations capable of turning Test matches, quicker than opposing sides, made Australia an awesome force but Stephen Fleming is undeterred as he takes his New Zealand team across the Tasman at the weekend fully geared to have a crack at the world champions.

Fleming, who watched Australia's Ashes tour while on duty with Middlesex in the English summer, said it was that ability to regularly sum up situations that saw Australia shine brighter than the home side.

It is a sign Fleming knows from his own experience when Australia toured here two summers ago and provided the same chances which the New Zealanders were unable to pick up.

Recognising those chances, and capitalising on them, will be central to New Zealand's hopes of making an impression on the great fortress that is Australia's Test side.

With that in mind the non-tour of Pakistan should at least ensure New Zealand goes to Australia with a full-strength team.

"I must admit that sending us to Pakistan before Australia to me was a bit like South Africa last year when we suffered so many injuries.

"But the guys appear in good shape and I am excited by having them [Chris Cairns, Dion Nash, Shayne O'Connor and Daniel Vettori] available.

"There is naturally some apprehension they will get through but firstly getting them there is the great thing.

"I am also excited by what's left behind with the stand-by players all being quality players which means there is great competition for places and that is a strength for us," Fleming told CricInfo today.

He wasn't prepared to say the return of such a core of bowling experience was the icing on the selection cake.

"What we've got are the ingredients for the icing, we'll just have to stir the mixture as much as we can to see how it comes out in the baking," he said.

Now New Zealand's most capped Test captain, Fleming believes Australia is beatable.

"But it will take a mammoth effort and it involves us implementing our own plans. The more we are under pressure from them the less chance we have of beating them," he said.

From his own point of view, Fleming, after his Middlesex season, wants to keep the consistency that has developed in his batting and to add the big scores his Test cricket CV needs.

"I want to lead from the front," he said.

That requires a change in fortunes for Fleming who in six Tests and 12 innings against Australia has managed only 242 runs at 20.17.

The measure of the work he has done in England would be seen in the Test matches.

"I achieved many of the things I wanted to, and it is a cast of confirming things in the middle," he said.

Fleming said he regularly works with former Test captain and batsman Martin Crowe on his batting and since returning from England had two sessions to work on batting matters.

Improving his record against the Australians is not a need he shares alone. For New Zealand to be competitive, all the batsmen need to up the ante.

Fleming acknowledged that the pressure was on the top order to perform against the Australian attack because they were so good at creating pressure after early breakthroughs.

The New Zealand team, without Cairns, leaves for Australia on Friday. Cairns will join the team in Queensland on October 20.

© CricInfo