Aust ready for Ashes-like test: Warner

David Warner says Australia will face conditions 'not too dissimilar to England' on an upcoming two-Test tour of New Zealand.

Australian batsman David Warner

David Warner says Australia will face conditions 'not too dissimilar to England' when they play NZ. (AAP)

David Warner enjoyed swinging in the rain but Australia's vice-captain knows there won't be any laughing at clouds in New Zealand.

Warner's whirlwind century on Thursday was the only highlight of an uninspiring draw that capped Australia's three-Test series against West Indies.

Australia will aim to ramp up their bid for the No.1 Test ranking in February, when they tackle Brendon McCullum's men on a two-Test tour.

Warner predicted the ball will be swinging and seaming all over the place during that series, as it was when Australia lost the Ashes last year.

"It's going to be not too dissimilar to England," Warner said.

"It's going to be swinging conditions but I think the wickets are probably going to be a bit greener."

Australia were skittled for just 60 at Trent Bridge last year, when paceman Stuart Broad all but grabbed the urn himself.

Facing NZ swing kings Trent Boult and Tim Southee under clouds on green seamers could be a similar test.

Regardless of the conditions it will be a world away from walloping West Indies' pop-gun attack.

"We've got to go over there and play with the same intent we do here," Warner said.

"We know the swinging conditions are probably going to favour them a little bit ... we've got to be on top of our game to beat them over there."

Warner's team have no tune-up on that tour, with Cricket Australia instead scheduling a Sheffield Shield match between NSW and WA in the NZ town of Lincoln.

However, the opener intimated that he and many of Australia's Test stars would be more likely to take part in the simultaneous three-match ODI series.

"We're definitely going to put our best team on the park (for ODIs in Auckland, Wellington and Hamilton)," he said.

"We're trying to win series for our country. The one-day series is going to be obviously the first thing we play over there.

"I look back at Eden Park during the World Cup and we were quite poor there.

"That's something we've got to try and be better at - winning away from home."

Steve Smith was upbeat his side would be aptly prepared for the conditions awaiting them in the land of the long white cloud.

"There's a lot of ways where you can replicate what you're going to get. You can get soft balls and get them to swing, the skipper said.

"I dare say they're going to have a bit of grass on them and they're going to swing a little bit.

"We're going to have to be better than we have been previously on those sorts of wickets, hopefully we can adapt well."

If England win or draw their ongoing series against South Africa then it is likely Warner's team will snatch top spot on the Test rankings with a 2-0 win over the Blackcaps.

Australia's batting order is settled but their first-choice attack is less clear.

"It's about getting the right attack for New Zealand first and foremost. That might be a totally different attack than our 'normal' attack," coach Darren Lehmann told ABC Radio.


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Source: AAP



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