As Australia's most successful Test fast bowler and leader of an attack considered among the best his nation has put on the park, Glenn McGrath is perhaps better qualified than most to assess the individual and collective merits of the team's current bowling battery.

And McGrath believes the options available to incumbent Test skipper Tim Paine are comparable to those that underpinned Australia's most recent 'golden era' during which they dominated Test and ODI cricket for almost a decade from the late 1990s.

That all-star outfit was spearheaded by McGrath and record-breaking leg spinner Shane Warne, with support from Jason Gillespie (who with McGrath formed Australia's most potent new-ball combination to date) and Brett Lee.

But McGrath reckons the current stocks led by the world's top-ranked bowler Pat Cummins, along with Mitchell Starc, James Pattinson, Josh Hazlewood (recently sidelined by a hamstring injury) and spinner Nathan Lyon rates favourably alongside the greats.

And he cited the dominance that Cummins and Pattinson exerted over New Zealand's shell-shocked top-order during last week's second Domain Series Test at the MCG of evidence of the attack's potency.

"They're right up there without a doubt," McGrath said when asked for his assessment of Australia's contemporary fast-bowling complement.

"That spell, I think it might have been the second morning or the second day (at the MCG) with Pat Cummins and James Pattinson, the way they bowled in tandem was brilliant.

"That's as good a fast bowling as you're going to see anywhere in the world.

QUICK SINGLE Kiwis fly in Phillips as emergency replacement

"And to have Mitchell Starc there as well, Josh Hazlewood who's unfortunately injured, there's four quality, quality bowlers and throw in Nathan Lyon as well.

"So it's as good a bowling attack that we've had, and the way they work together as a unit is pretty good.

"A lot of people say New Zealand's been disappointing, but I think a lot of that has been because of the way our bowlers have bowled.

"I was lucky to play in the era that I played in, with so many amazing players.

"And they're forming a pretty decent attack here that can compete with any era of Australian cricket."

McGrath's ringing endorsement was shared by Paine, who also noted that all five bowlers are comparatively young in the modern age of professional players and, as such, have potentially lengthy careers ahead of them provided they remain largely free from injury.

Of the four-pronged attack employed in the Melbourne Test, Cummins is 26, Starc turns 30 later this month, Pattinson is 29 (but has played comparatively little international cricket due to long-term injuries) and Lyon is 32, while Hazlewood turns 29 next week.

Swepson still in line for Test debut at SCG

Queensland's Michael Neser, who has yet to play a Test despite being part of Australia's Test squad for the recent Ashes tour to the UK and the current home Test summer, is also 29.

And as Paine also pointed out, even though veteran quick Peter Siddle called time on his international career during the Melbourne Test, Australia cricket boasts a number of emerging pace prospects including already-capped Western Australia quick Jhye Richardson and Tasmania young gun Riley Meredith.

"I think it's pretty exciting that we can continually put three or four big, strong fast bowlers on the park," Paine said on the eve of the final Test of the Domain Series against New Zealand that Australia leads 2-0.

"It's not something we can take for granted, we've got to keep working away and I'm sure Cricket Australia are, behind the scenes, trying to develop more.

"We've just lost Peter Siddle who has been a great influence on that bowling group, but we're lucky that we've got Hazlewood (195 Test wickets) and James Pattinson (81) and Mitchell Starc (240) who have played a lot of Tests, and taken around 200 wickets (each).

"So they've got some great insights and information for the young guys coming through.

"I think at the moment, the three or four we're able to get on the park consistently are as a group of bowlers, (they) are right up there with as good as we've had."

QUICK SINGLE Test combatants to honour bushfire victims in Sydney

McGrath, who with 563 Test wickets remains the second-most successful fast bowler the game has known behind England's James Anderson (577 wickets), jokingly observed that he would still be first-choice with the new-ball if he was part of the current Australia attack.

"I'm happy for Pat or Mitch or Josh or James to push uphill into the wind," McGrath said with tongue firmly in cheek.

"I'm happy to come downhill with the wind, so I have no issues there."

But he added that he and his fellow members of the fab four bowling line-up – with a remarkable 1,840 Test wickets between them – take great pleasure in watching the current crop with ball in hand.

Knowing that the five of them boast a combined tally of 1035 Test scalps collectively, with plenty more appearances ahead.

"In Australian conditions, they're tough to face," McGrath said. "They're going to be tough to face anywhere in the world, but especially at home. They're quality."

Williamson and co still under cloud: Latham

Domain Test Series v New Zealand