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Source: Reuters -
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The Black Caps will head into Adelaide nervously looking over their shoulders as the emergence of a new coach is likely to bring different direction, writes tvnz.co.nz's Chris Matthews.
Rodney Redmond may have the infamy of being the only Test player in history to score a century and half century on debut and never play again, but his son is staring down the barrel of being remembered for jack - nothing.
His brilliant run out of Michael Clarke last Friday would have to the highlight of his dogged six-Test career, but this isn't baseball and his job is to quite simply - score runs.
While all New Zealand's batsmen so far this season, Ross Taylor aside, can be accused of not delivering, no one heading into Friday's second Test match in Adelaide will feel under more pressure than Aaron Redmond.
Plucked from Otago as a virtual unknown for the tour of England earlier this year, his results make grim reading.
Six Tests at average of 17.9 can only be called mediocre, and if you take Bangladesh out of the equation then his average of 8.375 is nothing less than ugly.
In terms of potential, as some of the current players have been selected on, Redmond is limited. At 29-years-old he is no spring chicken and in England he was shown up as deficient against the swinging ball.
The new Black Caps coach, Andy Moles, a former opening batsman himself, will already have his own pre-conceived ideas about players such as Redmond and surely, only a big innings in Adelaide can save him now.
The argument for Remond remaining has not been helped by former Test batsman, Mathew Bell, hitting back-back centuries in the State Championship either and while it's doubtful that Moles and the selectors will revert back to the Wellington custodian, runs are desperately needed by the Blacks Caps at the moment.
The West Indies series is no time for persevering. If the Black Caps lose the second Test against Australia, as betting agencies around the world suggest they will, they will slip to eighth in the Test rankings.
West Indies will supersede the Black Caps upon arrival and resign the New Zealanders to effectively cellar dwellers in the five-day game, only ahead of Bangladesh and Zimbabwe respectively.
So it's a series we must deliver in and speaking of delivering - what about James Franklin who scorched his second first-class double century on Wednesday against Auckland at Eden Park's outer oval.
His 219 was off just 290 balls, included eight sixes and 20 fours, and one of his mega blows reportedly very nearly reached the Mobil on Sandringham road.
Franklin has backed up well from his four wickets and half century against Canterbury last week and has reminded the selectors of his class at the most opportune time.
Franklin, who only turned 28 this month, was a Test cricketer with a decent pedigree.
His left-arm fast-medium (apparently more medium these days) has racked up 76 Test wickets at a respectable 28 a piece. He can be expensive at times but he counters this with a real ability to swing the ball.
Lest we forget that he has hit a Test century against South Africa and he averages a commendable 22, mainly batting at number nine.
With Grant Elliot seemingly on the outer and Jacob Oram compounding his bad luck with a broken finger, Franklin could yet emerge as the batting all-rounder the Black Caps so desperately need for the West Indies tour
And on current form you would throw him straight in there, wouldn't you Mr Moles?
