A boxing day test on his home ground is the perfect Christmas present for Kane Williamson.
With the usual routine of spending Christmas on the road and in hotels it's a nice change to be spending it at home with friends and family for the Blackcaps captain.
"Playing a Boxing Day test at home is really special and I'm really excited to get into the first test of the series," Blackcaps captain Kane Williamson says.
The skipper is back after missing the second test against the West Indies for the birth of his daughter, with parenting something he’s still finding his feet on.
"I'm trying to get into some sort of routine over time but things are still very new for us but it's great fun as well," Williamson says.
Just as he’s settled at home, the Blackcaps captain is comfortable with the fact his team are just two wins away from a test championship final.
"The context of that is great for the game in general having the test championship but our focus is as it was in the last couple of tests is to basically start again and adapt to the conditions."
But while a selection headache is brewing for Gary Stead for all the right reasons, with a plethora of talent to choose from, Pakistan’s injury woes have gone from bad to worse...
As if it wasn’t already hard enough for Pakistan to face New Zealand in home conditions, captain Babar Hazam, opener Imam Ul-Huq and spinner Shadab Khan are all out of the first test and they know full well how tough it will be.
Despite that, the visitors aren’t here to make up the numbers.
"It's a big opportunity for the young guys and we are looking for these guys to step up," Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan says.
"You always know these guys are a huge threat as their skill level is so high," Williamson says.
With both teams ready to fire, the stage is set for a brilliant Boxing Day test.
Watch the full story above
Join us on Saturday for live updates for the first test between the Blackcaps and Pakistan
