Important McCullum plays his natural game - Latham

New Zealand will arrive at the Gabba on Monday morning hoping for a fifth-day miracle, and it will be their two most experienced players to whom they turn. The loss of the team's best batsman, Kane Williamson, in what became the penultimate over of a rain-shortened day, significantly hurt their hopes of batting out a draw.

However, captain Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor remain at the crease, and with the stubborn BJ Watling still to come, Australia will not view their procession to victory as a sure thing. New Zealand would have to break all sorts of records to chase down 504 and win the match, but surviving for three sessions is not out of the equation - although the worst of the rain has passed.

"The wicket is reasonably flat," opener Tom Latham said. "It's taking a little bit of turn to the right-hander in the footmarks. But in general it's still a pretty good wicket. The guys are still pretty relaxed. The environment we've got at the moment, everyone is enjoying their cricket and stays pretty relaxed. Hopefully we can take that into tomorrow and see where it takes us."

The presence of McCullum at the crease might be the one thing that gives New Zealand fans the tiniest glimmer of hope of victory, for boundaries tend to arrive in a hurry when he is at the crease. That will mean he also offers Australia wicket opportunities, but Latham said he did not expect his captain to play any differently on day five at the Gabba.

"I think it's important that he plays his natural game," Latham said. "If he goes out and bats for an hour or two, then we could certainly be a long way towards winning the match. But that first hour is going to be massive for us."

The first hour of the fourth day was encouraging for New Zealand, for although runs did not flow, nor did wickets, as Australia's fast men persisted with lines that did not always make the New Zealanders play. Mitchell Johnson's first five overs were all maidens, but only half of those deliveries required Latham and Martin Guptill to use their bats.

The opening partnership reached 44 before it was ended in the 23rd over, when Latham was lbw to a swinging delivery from Mitchell Starc, and they had achieved a similarly solid but not spectacular start in the first innings. On that occasion Latham and Guptill managed 56 before the first wicket fell, and Latham hopes they will be able to push on for a bigger stand in the second Test in Perth.

"They bowled really well and asked plenty of questions of us early on," he said. "The last two innings we've laid a little bit of a platform but next time we get a chance hopefully we can keep pushing that on."