OPINION: Good versus evil; the nice guy versus the dastardly villain. That is how the three-Test cricket series between New Zealand and Australia is being perceived and portrayed by both the protagonists and the spectators.
Despite their Word Cup success the Australian cricketers aren't universally liked at home. Photo: Photosport
Colloquially known as the 'Gabbatoir', Australia have not lost a Test there since 1988.
It's four long years since New Zealand beat Australia in a cricket Test.
But how can that be, you ask, given the form of the Black Caps form in recent times?
Well, it's actually four years since the two sides last met in a Test - the 2011 match in Hobart which the Black Caps won by just seven runs.
While Australia haven't lost a Test in Brisbane for 27 years, the Gabba, or the Woolloongabba to give it its official name, is the venue for one of the greatest Test performances by a New Zealander - Sir Richard Hadlee's 15-wicket haul in 1985, which took the side to an innings victory.
Hadlee took nine wickets for 52 in the first innings and then took the catch which gave spinner Vaughan Brown the 10th, Brown's solitary Test wicket in his two-Test career.
Sir Richard Hadlee was integral to New Zealand's victory against Australia in 1985 at the Gabba, taking 15 wickets in the match. Photo: Photosport
New Zealand, though, generally struggle in the opening Test of any series.
While they are unbeaten in their last seven Test series, they have lost eight of from 10 series openers in offshore Tests - including their last Brisbane visit.
Australia though are in anything but rampant form. They lost the Ashes series to England, which led to the retirements of opening batsman Chris Rogers, former skipper Michael Clarke and all-rounder Shane Watson.
This left coach Darren Lehman with the task of rebuilding the side.
Six of the New Zealand side though were part of the 2011 outfit which won in Hobart.
Batting first generally pays dividends at the Gabba, so whoever wins the toss, expect them to tell their openers to pad up.
Although skipper Brendon McCullum might be tempted to give swing bowlers Tim Southee and Trent Boult first go on what is likely to be a green tinged pitch and humid conditions... don't be fooled, Baz.
The local wisdom is if you win the toss, nine times out of 10 you bat and on the 10th you think about bowling, and then bat. Plenty of visiting teams have made the mistake of seeing a green tinge on the pitch and thinking it will be a bowlers' paradise, only to be fooled.
Black Caps assistant coach Craig McMillan, who made his Test debut at the Gabba in 1997, was confident New Zealand wouldn't make that mistake should McCullum win the toss.
Black Caps assistant coach Craig McMillan. Photo: Photosport
McMillan knows the Black Caps have been slow starters in recent series but feels despite having to abandon their last warm-up match in Sydney because of a dangerous pitch, their build-up to this Test has been good.
"Quite often (our slow starts) have come down to a lack of preparation before a test series starts but since Mike (Hesson) has been in charge that's changed.
"How you start a series is important and with what history tells us of the Gabba and Australia's record there we know that this first test is going to be crucial so its important we start fast and come out all guns blazing."
The Australians are usually the ones doing all the shooting... from the lip that is.
Again they're making no apologies for it.
Despite their Word Cup success the Australian cricketers aren't universally liked at home. Photo: Photosport
Even with the recent retirements of Clarke and Watson, and serial sledger Ian Healy long-retired, there will be no change in abrasiveness under new skipper Steven Smith.
The Black Caps are the 'nice guys' and the Australians with their win-at-all-cost approach are the pantomime villains.
Even in Australia, the home side isn't universally liked.
I clearly remember an Australian journalist saying to me after Australia won the World Cup in Melbourne in February, "They might be world champions, but they're still a bunch of wankers".
That doesn't bother Australia vice-captain David Warner though.
"At the end of the day, you're not playing for the Spirit of Cricket award, you're playing for a series," he said, in direct reference to McCullum, who earned a Spirit of Cricket award at Lord's in September.
"For us, our goal is to win the series and go on to become No.1 in all formats.
"And we're always going to fight for that, we're going to try our best and work as hard as we can to become number one in all formats.
"We try not to cross that line. A couple of times, we might have headbutted it, and a couple of times we might have crossed it, but we've got to try to win every game that's possible."
With February's World Cup final in Melbourne fresh in many of the New Zealand players' minds they know they will face a barrage of bouncers both bowled and verbal.
This New Zealand side has shown that they are a resilient bunch, however.
Yes, winning the series might be a bridge too far, but a series draw is a realistic goal, and that alone would be enough to stick in the Aussies craw. That's a victory in itself.
Trans-Tasman cricket history
OVERALL
Series: Australia 12-3 (six drawn)
Tests: Australia 27-8 (17 draws)
Most runs: Allan Border 1500 at 51.72
Most wickets: Sir Richard Hadlee 130 at 20.56
RECENT SERIES
1992-93 Drawn 1-1
1993-94 Australia 2-0
1997-98 Australia 2-0
1999-00 Australia 3-0
2001-02 Drawn 0-0
2004-05 Australia 2-0
2004-05 Australia 2-0
2008-09 Australia 2-0
2009-10 Australia 2-0
2011-12 Drawn 1-1
TEST SERIES
Nov 5-9 Gabba
Nov 13-17 WACA
Nov 27-Dec 1 Adelaide Oval (inaugural day-night Test)
