Selecting a team without significant injury worries is a rare delight for New Zealand's selectors and there were no surprises in their choice of team to play the first Test against international newcomers Bangladesh in the National Bank series starting at Hamilton on Tuesday.

No changes have been made to the playing XI from Perth while Chris Drum has been named 12th man in place of Glen Sulzberger.

The team is: Stephen Fleming (captain), Mark Richardson, Lou Vincent, Mathew Sinclair, Nathan Astle, Craig McMillan, Chris Cairns, Adam Parore, Daniel Vettori, Shane Bond, Chris Martin, Chris Drum.

Stephen Fleming will appear in his 64th Test in a rare position of supreme favouritism, in charge of his own game after a State Championship century this week and knowing that his team is firing on all cylinders after their fine efforts in Australia.

Bangladesh is the home entree to the summer with England the main course later, but for New Zealand to maintain their advance nothing short of a complete performance against cricket's minnows will be expected.

An interesting choice awaits over the preferred new-ball option with Chris Cairns having competition now for the role from Test newcomer Shane Bond and the more exposed Chris Martin, all three of them from the same province Canterbury.

Cairns has been working on his bowling action, and especially the ball release, since returning from Australia and Fleming may well leave the decision until after nets in Hamilton before the game.

No-one was ever going to allow Lou Vincent to have be a one-Test wonder after the impact of his debut in Perth.

The unfortunate batsman is Matt Horne. A recognised opener, who has scored one century already in the State Championship and looks to be on his way to one against Bangladesh for Auckland, is a victim of the 'never-change-a-winning-team' syndrome.

However, it is clear the pressure is on among the batsmen. Mathew Sinclair has been given a reprieve and will be expected to score heavily against the Bangladesh side, and then to maintain that form through whatever level of cricket the lead up to the England tour provides him with.

By the same token, Horne needs to maintain the scoring form he has shown to keep his name in front of the selectors for the England series in which the opening position will need to be filled by specialists.

The Test will be Nathan Astle's 50th and he needs only 102 more runs to pass 3000 runs in Test cricket - a feat achieved only by Martin Crowe, John Wright, Fleming, Bevan Congdon, John Reid and Richard Hadlee in New Zealand cricket history.

Adam Parore will play his 74th Test and is within 11 dismissals of 200 in Test cricket.

Mark Richardson will play his 13th Test and is within 138 runs of completing his first 1000 runs at Test level.

Just how much bowling Daniel Vettori gets in the series, which is expected to be played on seamer-friendly wickets, the result of so much early summer rain more than anything else, remains to be seen but after his good series in Australia he is within five wickets of passing Ewen Chatfield on the all-time New Zealand bowling list.

Vettori has 119 wickets and when he passes Chatfield he will be in fifth-place on the all-time New Zealand list.

© CricInfo