New Zealand have confirmed opener Martin Guptill will miss Sunday's trans-Tasman ODI series finale in Hamilton.
Dean Brownlie is set to open the batting against Australia at Seddon Park in the absence of Guptill, who suffered a hamstring injury during NZ's six-run win in the opening chapter of the three-match series.
Black Caps opener Tom Latham isn't expecting too much trouble in making the adjustment to opening with Brownlie, whose last ODI for New Zealand was more than two years ago.
"I played at Canterbury with Dean for a few years, so I know what a high-class player he is," Latham said on Saturday.
"He's done well against Australia in the past in the longer form. He'll be looking forward to getting a crack - he hasn't played for New Zealand for a while and I'm sure he'll be raring to go."
The Australia-born Brownlie has played 10 ODIs for New Zealand and batted at an average of just more than 25, with a high score of 47 and a strike rate of 74.35.
Latham said he was looking forward to slotting in with the 32-year-old right-hander, with the familiarity from their Canterbury days smoothing the lines of communication.
"It goes with everyone in the team, whoever you bat with - you need to form that communication.
"Dean's one of those guys I like to bat with."
The Black Caps stole a six-run win over their trans-Tasman rivals at Eden Park on Monday, despite Marcus Stoinis's astonishing unbeaten 146 off 117 balls at No.7.
But the abandonment of game two in Napier on Wednesday means Australia must win the final match to square the series 1-1 and retain the Chappell-Hadlee trophy.
Latham, who will be wicketkeeper in Hamilton on Sunday for the fifth time in ODIs, described the Auckland win as a "classic Kiwi scrap".
"I think we've done that really well in the past," the 24-year-old left-hander said.
"We managed to put a decent score on the board, and I think the way the guys came out with ball put them under pressure.
"There was good intent and we didn't really give them anything early on.
"If we can do that again and put the top order under pressure, then hopefully we can get into that middle and lower order pretty quickly."
