New Zealand vowed to attack creatively and ruthlessly on day five as they seek to deny Australia victory and the No.1 Test ranking in Christchurch.
Tempers flared as NZ fought hard with bat and ball on day four of the second Test but Australia finished 1-70 on Tuesday, having been set a victory target of 201.
Jackson Bird's maiden five-wicket haul put Australia in the box seat to record a win that will lift them to top spot on the International Cricket Council's rankings.
Corey Anderson predicted NZ skipper Brendon McCullum would try almost anything in his final day of Test cricket to conjure the nine wickets required.
"We're going to have to come up with some interesting fields and give it a real crack," Anderson said.
"We haven't got heaps of runs to play with ... we've just got to back ourselves.
"Hopefully a couple of things go our way.
"Any total you're going to have to chase in the fourth innings is always going to be a tough total ... we managed to run through the tail pretty quickly in the first innings."
David Warner is already back in the rooms, a score of 22 making it his first ever Test series without at least a half-century.
McCullum successfully reviewed a not-out verdict after Warner gloved one down the leg side and declared it came off his hip.
"He's alway a good bluff," Anderson smiled.
"It's one of those things, you try to get away with whatever you can really."
The footage was damning and Warner started to walk before third umpire Richard Illingworth could hit the button.
There was no shortage of Decision Review System (DRS) drama on a day full of momentum swings.
Josh Hazlewood trapped Kane Williamson lbw for 54 early but the Black Caps' boy wonder successfully reviewed Ranmore Martinesz's verdict.
Replays confirmed it was a howler and Williamson clearly edged the ball onto his pads.
Australia reviewed an lbw shout from Hazlewood in the final over of the morning session, when Williamson was on 88.
Illingworth suggested there was an edge involved, prompting a furious response from Hazlewood and skipper Steve Smith.
NZ started the day at 4-121, reaching 335 when they were bowled out early in the final session.
Williamson and Anderson batted through the morning session but both fell shortly after lunch to Bird, who grabbed three scalps in the space of 10 balls.
"It was nice to get a few wickets today and to put us in a pretty good position to win the game," Bird said.
"I started today and yesterday with a couple of expensive overs ... it was pretty frustrating."
Bird cleaned up the tail but not before BJ Watling and Matt Henry delivered yet another twist in the topsy-turvy contest, sharing a 118-run stand.
Anderson added 23 runs after being dropped on 17 by Mitch Marsh, while Williamson fell three runs short of a ton.
"We could have rolled over and scratched our bellies but I guess we showed a bit of fight," Anderson said.
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