Ask around and most folks will tell you about Aotearoa's Test batting line up being one of, if not the best we've ever seen.

Optimism is high around Aotearoa for the Blackcaps snatch and grab mission across the ditch, where they will take an Australian team who have also come to this moment in time with their Test cricket sussed out.

Aotearoa's glorious Blackcaps have another Test series win in the books as the second Test in Hamilton sizzled and fizzled.

Unfortunately for Jeet Raval, his excursion into 'out of form' territory is juxtaposed against a Blackcaps Test team that has been dwelling in nice form for quite some time.

A steady flow of Test cricket in Aotearoa presents fresh challenges and the natural variable of injuries is going to add some funk to the Blackcaps Test team for their second Test against England.

Test cricket is glorious. That's the taste left after the Blackcaps defeated England in Tauranga to spark up the kiwi summer and while this may not have been so glorious had the Blackcaps not won, the past five days were still a lovely showcase of our favourite activity.

Although batting may have appeared rather easy in the first Test between Aotearoa and England as BJ Watling plodded along, the lingering danger of getting a spicy bit of action off the pitch remained throughout the Blackcaps batting innings.

The rise of Lockie Ferguson may be the most exciting little kiwi cricket tale of the moment and thus, there has been a sharp spotlight placed on Ferguson and his possible role in the Blackcaps Test team.

There is a certain level of status-quo in a kiwi summer where touring Test cricket nations from Asia tend to be bullied by Aotearoa's Blackcaps.