Having bust open the first Test with intimidatory spells, Mitchell Starc feels he and Mitchell Johnson have proven they can thrive together.
New Zealand were 5-157 at stumps on day two of the Gabba clash, Australia having declared at 4-556 during Friday's second session.
Some pundits suggested after the Ashes that Starc and Johnson shouldn't play in the same XI, the risk of the left-armers leaking too many runs was immense.
A collapse of 4-16 from NZ was a decent counter argument.
"The fact we were probably written off a bit - to bowl together in a Test match again fired us up a little bit," Starc said.
"To prove a few people wrong and come out and bowl in that partnership together was great."
The tourists actually started quite well with the bat, reaching 1-102 after seeing off the new-ball spells of Johnson and Starc.
An ill-fated drive from Tom Latham to a relatively unthreatening delivery from Starc then prompted the collapse.
In the space of 4.1 overs - much of it a short-pitched salvo sent down at serious pace - the game changed.
Ross Taylor faced seven balls and never looked comfortable. Unable to get on the front foot, he tentatively edged a ball from Johnson to Steve Smith at second slip.
Brendon McCullum looked to dig in, desperate to interrupt the dominance Australia had enjoyed since he lost the toss.
He tried to evade a Starc bouncer but wore it on the top of his back.
The captain didn't flinch or rub the blow, getting on with business by slashing a short ball from Johnson to the fence.
But the 34-year-old clearly hadn't settled.
The next delivery he fell in similar fashion to Taylor, Adam Voges grasping the ball to his chest at first slip.
Starc took two balls to remove James Neesham, the allrounder rooted to the crease as the Kookaburra cannoned off his pads onto the stumps.
"Maybe," Starc said, when asked if the current leader of Australia's attack and his successor inflicted some psychological blows.
"There's still a long way to go in this Test match. Definitely in the series as well."
Smith declared when recalled batsman Usman Khawaja was out for 174, leaving Adam Voges stranded on 83 not out.
Latham and Martin Guptill were both patient and productive in a 56-run stand but things then unravelled.
"They came hard for a 20-minute period and we made mistakes," NZ batting coach Craig McMillan said.
Josh Hazlewood was responsible for the all-important first breakthrough, rediscovering the trademark consistency he lost during the Ashes.
Hazlewood had figures of 1-18 after nine overs, squaring up Guptill to create a low edge that David Warner did well to snaffle at third slip.
"If Mitchy is creating havoc or Joshee is bowling that nagging line and length, we are not worried as a group who is taking wickets," Starc said.
Kane Williamson finished 55 not out in one of few sources of joy for the tourists, whose mood was further soured by Tim Southee's back injury.
Black Caps management are still assessing the irritated disc but Neil Wagner has been called into the squad as cover.
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