Black Caps coach Gary Stead has plenty of thinking to do after this Australia tour.

OPINION: A lengthy cricketing honeymoon has come to a shuddering halt for New Zealand coach Gary Stead.

Appointed as the obvious candidate to succeed Mike Hesson in August 2018, Stead will return home next week with his weary, wounded players under easily the most scrutiny of his tenure as India's visit looms.

And it is justified, too. Yes, Australia have outclassed the Black Caps on the toughest test tour in world cricket. But that should not be used as a comfortable excuse, along with bad luck with the coin toss, injuries, illness and the schedule that saw them sent to hot, bouncy Perth first up.

ANDREW CORNAGA/PHOTOSPORT New Zealand coach Gary Stead and Tim Southee in deep discussion on the field on day two.

Cricket fans were entitled to expect more fight from this team; world test No 2, narrow World Cup runnersup.

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Stead's role and his relationship with captain Kane Williamson - notably who wields the power and makes the final selection calls - must be examined thoroughly by New Zealand Cricket whose chief executive David White is in Sydney.

AP Senior man Tim Southee and coach Gary Stead were seen in lengthy discussion on day two of the third test against Australia.

And their preparation, or lack of it, and failure to call in a high-profile Australian cricketing figure to assist with adapting to the conditions on arrival. They've been playing catch-up from ball one.

Tim Southee's axing for the third test in Sydney raised the ire of former skipper Brendon McCullum in the commentary box. McCullum was incredulous that much-needed experience, a leader like Southee who would help rally the troops in tough times, was overlooked with Williamson and Trent Boult ruled out.

Southee and Stead were seen on Saturday morning in detailed discussion in front of the pavilion, Southee having made his frustration clear. He was told on test eve he wouldn't be playing when they decided to pick two spinners, and Matt Henry's extra pace and freshness was preferred.

PHOTOSPORT Gavin Larsen and co-selector Gary Stead discuss the situation in Melbourne.

This was the man who was named captain 10 months previously, for the Christchurch test that was never played. Tom Latham looks a worthy skipper, but Southee as his sidekick was mandatory. McCullum, on Channel Seven, said: "I don't think Tom Latham made the call."

When things go wrong in this situation it snowballs, and Henry then suffered a broken thumb when fielding a ball early on day one.

Stead fronted up and was quizzed on selections. He said Southee's 200 overs in four previous tests was a factor, and that Henry would bring a point of difference.

GETTY IMAGES Tom Latham became New Zealand's 30th test captain, ahead of Tim Southee who was dropped for the Sydney test.

Q. How did Tim take it?

A. "Naturally he was disappointed around it. But I'd expect that of any player who got that message from me."

Q. Some selections have raised questions. What is the process and who has the final say?

PHOTOSPORT New Zealand were shorn of their big three for the Sydney test with Kane Williamson (illness), Tim Southee (dropped) and Trent Boult (injury) all missing.

A. "It's joint decision-making. Kane and I, Tom and I today come up with the final decision of the team. The squad beforehand is selected by Gavin Larsen and myself along with input from the captain as well. And then on tour it comes down to the two of us."

Q. How did you feel you've gone with the selections?

"You can only select those guys in the squad. You guys will have opinions on that as well. But we make decisions on what is in front of us and what is the best decisions to make at the time. We live and die by those decisions as well."

Stead, Larsen and Williamson's selections have been odd at times. Colin Munro ahead of Will Young (subsequently injured) at the World Cup; no England test for Lockie Ferguson who then broke down in Perth; retaining Jeet Raval when clearly struggling; persisting with white ball specialist Mitchell Santner ahead of a host of better spinners… all exposed the process, consistency and who makes the final call.

The fact Will Somerville wasn't picked from the start for his Australian knowledge was strange, too. They chose a 15 for five tests when it should have been reviewed after England, played on docile surfaces.

Whether things are too comfortable in the camp is another question. Did Stead, batting coach Peter Fulton and bowling coach Shane Jurgensen challenge the players enough? Is Williamson a reluctant skipper and does he need to split the captaincy? The latter is a pressing issue amid a packed calendar.

In a passionate speech on Channel Seven, McCullum said someone needed to take ownership and deliver some home truths.

"Sometimes in this game, you need honesty and you need tough messages and it's not always about drinking the bath water and total support.

"I'm all for confidence and giving guys pats on the back, but every now and then then you need a tough message and you need a reality check.

"Only then can you look at yourself and say 'did I put in, and could I have put in more?'"

Stead said pre-tour the team could be accurately judged on this summer. A very good Indian side provides the perfect litmus test at home, a chance for the Black Caps and their management to re-set and review in more comfortable climes.

Or Stead's contract, which expires after the Twenty20 World Cup in November, may be under scrutiny beyond that.