The world's top-ranked side are favourites to win the two-match series against a Kiwi team down in seventh place in the ICC championship table. Ponting, though, says his players need to be on their guard.

"They are a side that are always well-planned and think things through pretty well," he told a news conference on Wednesday.

"They'll pick our game plan to pieces and think what they can do to combat that."

Although New Zealand have not won a Test on Australian soil since 1985-86, they drew 0-0 three years ago under the captaincy of Stephen Fleming, who frustrated the hosts with clever field placements and astute tactical decisions.

Fleming was typically coy when quizzed about his strategy for this series but said the fact that few gave his team any hope of winning might work in his favour.

"I think the reason we respond often better than others when we come here is because we're the underdogs and have nothing to lose," he said.

"We can try things without a great deal of consequence."

Ponting, who has lost only one Test since taking over the Test captaincy from Steve Waugh at the start of the year, said he expected New Zealand's tactics would revolve around slowing down the Australian scoring rate.

Australia's batsmen have traditionally tried to accumulate runs quickly but Ponting said they were prepared to curb their natural instincts for the same patient approach they used on the recent triumphant tour of India.

"I think we'll be very prepared for anything New Zealand throw at us in this game," Ponting said.

SCORE QUICKLY

"In the past we've been able to score quickly and get big totals but we know we can bat for long periods as well if we have to."

Ominously, Ponting said the tactics could backfire on the Kiwis. "We also feel that it's about time we really got a big first-innings total," he said.

"We've batted well of late without really nailing down that really big score, so that's what we're after."

While Australia have been crushing everything in their path in recent seasons, New Zealand's form has slumped. They lost at home to Pakistan last year, squandered a 1-0 lead in their drawn series with South Africa and were then thrashed 3-0 in England.

They regained lost confidence with a 2-0 victory over Bangladesh last month, only to lose their opening tour match in Australia to New South Wales.

Fleming, who scored the second double-century of his career against Bangladesh, missed that game with a mystery illness but has been cleared for the opening Test along with Nathan Astle and Daniel Vettori, who were also ill.

As the captain and leading batsman in the side, Fleming has been singled out by the Australian bowlers in the build-up to the opening Test but says he is unfazed by their taunts.

"It's been pretty typical really," he said. "It seems to be a technique that they use, to target one or two players publicly.

"But that's fine. We always assume to be targeted when we hit the middle so nothing really changes.

"It's just their way of trying to place pressure on individuals and break up team unity."