1. David Warner

The pugnacious Sydneysider, built more like an NRL hooker than an opening batsman, currently possesses a strike rate of 214, the highest in Test history. (Second place belongs to Bill Howell, a bee farmer from Penrith who played at the turn of the twentieth century. For batsmen who have scored over 1000 runs, the record is held by Shahid Afridi, whose 1716 runs have been scored at 87). Clearly Warner's record will not last long, but in his brief second-innings at the Gabba he showed that his see-ball hit-ball mentality will be carried over into the prestige arena.

Philip Hughes is playing for his position in Hobart but a much-needed score may still be in vain if it is matched or bettered by his opening partner. It hasn't gone unnoticed in the sub-continent that Chris Martin has made Hughes his bunny with his slanting off-cutters. Irfan Pathan is a more hirsute, Indian upgrade of the world's worst batsman and he is already licking his lips at the prospect of Australia being one-for-not-very-much with Hughes trudging back to the sheds.

2. New Zealand Improving

I've given New Zealand pretty short shrift on this tour so far and in Brisbane they failed to prove me wrong. What people were expecting from a team that has only three Test wins in three years is beyond me, but a bit of trash talking from Ross Taylor and a couple of slogged hundreds at Allan Border Field and the illusion of New Zealand ‘raising its game' raises its mythical head.

Surely New Zealand cannot be any worse in Hobart. The batting, in particular, must improve. Despite my jibes the Kiwi top-seven has skill and potential - in Brisbane it just sorely lacked application. The wickets of Taylor, Brendon McCullum and Jesse Ryder, in both innings of the first Test, were poor reflections of each batsman's aptitude for the contest. A stern dressing down from John Wright and an extra day's practice against full away-swinging deliveries will hopefully pay off.

3. Ricky Ponting Scoring 100

Ricky Ponting averages 80 in his six Test matches in Hobart. It is the site of his last Test century, 209, against Pakistan in 2010. It is the closest to a home Test ground for the Launceston-born Taswegian.

Cricket has a habit of creating structured narratives from seemingly random events. A ton for Punter in his backyard would provide the most fitting opportunity for Australia's record run-scorer to raise his bat and silence his growing number of doubters.

4. Aleem Dar

Test cricket umpires are charged with an extraordinary amount of responsibility. They are constantly making decisions during long sessions for days on end. They are handicapped by all manner of obstacles, not least participants unjustly claiming or denying dismissals. In recent years they have had to endure increasingly sophisticated technology first identifying and then magnifying every minute mistake.

Despite all these challenges, the TV umpire for the second Test, Aleem Dar, must rank amongst the most accurate match officials of any discipline. The 43-year old has been voted the ICC Umpire of the Year for the previous three years and his ability to both administer the laws of the game and maintain good relations with players is a lesson for all sporting arbiters.

Part of what makes Dar so competent is his close relationship with the game as a player. He is a former first-class cricketer in Pakistan and plays whenever possible, wherever in the world he happens to be officiating. On Thursday in Tasmania he batted in a net session against local bowlers. While this may not appear of great significance, his understanding of the match conditions will be more finely tuned and contribute to his already excellent judgement.

5. Hobart

For the television and radio coverage alone Hobart is one of the most entertaining Tests of an Australian summer. Channel Nine loves the long cutaway to boats sailing in the Derwent River estuary. Both television and radio commentators regale with tales of seafood caught and monsters that got away. On Hobart's many windy days the sight of the Nine cameraman perched atop a swaying scaffold makes viewers realise the unglamorous side of life to keeping Richie Benaud in cream, white, off-white, bone, ivory and beige jackets.

Hobart also usually means an Australian victory. The home side has won seven of the nine Tests staged in the Tasmanian capital to date - although New Zealand has drawn its two most recent encounters in the city, back in 2001 and 1997.