The return leg of the 2016/17 Chappell-Hadlee series was supposed to be an epic test of where our Blackcaps ODI team is at. Well, it still is because if the Blackcaps bring their struggles from their dismantling in Australia back to Aotearoa against an Australian team that is without David Warner and Steve Smith, we'll know that there is a fair bit of work that needs to be done ahead of the Champions Trophy tournament later this year.

Before we get up to our neck in this series, it's important to offer the same context around those three games in Australia; the Blackcaps rolled out a vastly different/weaker team than they did when they beat Australia in Aotearoa early in 2016. While Australia upgraded many positions - most notably their bowling attack where Pat Cummins came in for Scott Boland for example - between those two series, the Blackcaps lost experience and were weakened. Not to mention that Australia had a very settled team, where Travis Head was their inexperienced bloke and he was a low key stand out.

Now though, Australia have been forced to make a few changes which could bring the kiwis into the contest. Australia have no obligation to play Warner and Smith, these two lads are the faces of Australian cricket and they simply can't be 'rested' for any cricket in Australia because of the financial implications that would have with ticket sales and what not. They do need a rest though as they play a mountain of cricket and perform extremely well, so with a tour to India on the horizon, a short trip to Aotearoa is the perfect opportunity to give them a break.

That gives opportunities to Australia's younger wave and we'd be rude to assume that the Blackcaps will suddenly emerge as favourites, especially as batsman Usman Khawaja is also rested. I mean, they rest Warner and bring in Aaron Finch. Sam Heazlett and Peter Handscombe are also likely to score some runs as young Aussie batsmen, although the main reason that I'm weary of going all in on kiwi hype is that Australia's bowling attack looks lethal.

Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc are still there. In comes Billy Stanlake and he's cut from the same 'massive unit, quick bowler' cloth as the rest of the Aussie attack, while James Faulkner and Marcus Stoinis will offer some all-round options as well. Interestingly, while the Blackcaps continue to have Ish Sodhi hanging by a string Australia are consistently playing their young leggy Adam Zampa. It's up to you whether you view it as a positive or negative, it's just interesting that Australia have spinners who do as good a job (if not better) as Mitchell Santner in Head and Glenn Maxwell but they also roll with a leggy.

For our Blackcaps...

I'd love to see Tom Latham given the wicket-keeping gloves. Just because of the options it offers and is the best way to get as many batsmen, bowlers or all-rounders in as is required.

The Blackcaps will only win this series with Martin Guptill going boom. Guppy has dominated domestic cricket since sliding back there, all hype will cease if he can't translate that into runs at this level.

Is Neil Broom for real or is Neil Broom a great batsman against Bangladesh in Aotearoa?

Without being overly dramatic, I've got this as a huge series for Colin de Grandhomme and Colin Munro ... and Matt Henry ... and Guppy ... and Broom.

CDG has struggled to maintain an impact in the Blackcaps Test team and now he moves into a more favourable format. Australia will probably enjoy his medium pace though and we need to see if CDG can whack a quality bowling attack around, under pressure.

Munro has been in the BBL and is riding a wave of momentum. Australia have now seen plenty of him as he was solid in the Aussie leg of this series and after Munro took great pleasure in bullying Bangladesh (with his bat and his words), Australia will love to go after him (with the ball and words).

Ah Matt Henry. It wasn't so long ago that Henry was known as arguably our best ODI bowler, then he served up a few pies in Australia and it's been hard to imagine him taking plenty of wickets in this series. Henry needs a niche and if he runs in an bowls 135km/h deliveries on a good length, that's not a good niche. That's amplified by the presence of Lockie Ferguson, who definitely has a niche and could overtake Henry.

Will Hazlewood and Starc continue to put Southee and Boult in the shade?