It’s always great to be back at the Adelaide Oval and there’s an extra sense of history and occasion as we prepare for today’s third Commonwealth Bank Test against New Zealand that will decide who holds the Trans-Tasman Trophy.

Of course, the fact that we’ll be involved in the first day-night Test match in the game’s 138-year history means there’s a little bit of the unknown to add to the usual sense of anticipation that comes before a big game.

I know one of the aims of the day-night format for Tests is to make the game more accessible for fans who might otherwise not be able to come along, so hopefully there will be newcomers to Test cricket along with the those who support the Adelaide Test so well every year.

The pink ball will make its debut today // Getty Images

So we’re also looking forward to playing in front of the big crowds that have been forecast for certainly the first three days, and in such a fantastic stadium which is looking as beautiful as ever even if the pitch has a little more grass than we’re used to seeing in Adelaide.

The way that the ground staff here have got everything sorted after last Saturday night’s AC/DC concert has been remarkable and a real credit to them.

There’s barely a blemish on the outfield at the famous scoreboard end which is where the giant stage was built less than a week ago, and the only real difference we’ve noticed heading into this Test is the change to the practice drills and their timing.

Portable floodlights have been installed alongside the nets where we’re been working with the pink ball, and our catching drills have been timed to help us get used to the conditions that we’ll face when we’re out there in the twilight and for an hour or so in the evening.

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But rather than focusing on what’s going to be different come this afternoon when the coin is tossed, the theme of our preparation this week has been to keep everything as similar and normal as possible.

My message has been that it’s the same preparation as it would be for any Test match regardless of whether we’re using a red ball or a pink one – it will still be five days of hard Test cricket against a very skilful and committed opponent.

We just have to ensure that we’re playing the cricket that we want to play, and our first priority will be to try and make sure we dominate this first day of the match as we’ve managed to do in the previous Tests in Brisbane in Perth.

That has put us in a strong position from the outset in both those games, so we’ll be looking to repeat that today and then obviously improve on the result that was achieved in Perth.

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The other emotion that has been prevalent since we gathered here in Adelaide last Sunday is returning to the ground where, a year ago, we came together in the days after the passing of our friend and teammate Phillip Hughes.

He has been with us in spirit every day since then, and while this match will stir many memories we will attempt to honour Phillip’s memory with our on-field performance and aiming to do it with a smile on our face.

All the while thinking of his family, his friends and his many fans.

There is also a notable change among the playing group since that Test against India here a year ago, with six players – Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin, Shane Watson, Chris Rogers, Ryan Harris and now Mitchell Johnson – having retired from the Test game over the past 12 months.

So there’s a genuine feeling that we’re heading into a new era, with nobody remaining from those in the ‘300s’ of our list of Test caps – Peter Siddle is now the old man of the team in that regard as cap number 403 while I’m the next in that list in the current team at 415.

The Johnson family after Mitch's final Test at the WACA // Getty Images

We’re also aware of the sense of history that accompanies this Test, especially seeing some of the greats of the past – Ian and Greg Chappell, Barry Richards and Len Pascoe – who have been here in Adelaide harking back to the very first day-night cricket match played 37 years ago.

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For now, we’re probably more focused on how to adapt our usual match routines to cater for the fact that we’ll be getting back to the hotel around 11pm after each day’s play finishes around 10pm.

Which will be a big change for guys like me who would usually be in bed by around 9.30pm each night during a Test match.

It will definitely be a change going to bed late, and then trying to sleep a bit longer to make sure we’re properly rested and focused for the whole 90 overs the next day.

I’m not sure how that’s going to affect my daily routine just yet – I’ll make a note to not drink too many coffees in the morning when we’re filling time waiting to go to the ground around noon.

My morning will probably involve a late breakfast, a bit of chilling out – doing the crossword maybe and possibly even watching a movie – and possibly some physio treatment but avoiding anything that will use up too much mental or physical energy.

There are others around the group who might struggle to stay awake if we play an extra half hour or so as we can do to get through the day’s requirement of overs.

That’s why we’ve installed a new mattress in our dressing room for our unofficial coach and mentor, Barry ‘Nugget’ Rees, in case he needs an evening nap.

Though it’s unlikely that Nugget will allow himself to miss a ball.

Nugget // Getty Images