Mitchell Santner was always going to be targeted when he made his debut in the inaugural day-night test in Adelaide.

But the Black Cap debutant had the perfect response for those confrontational Aussies.

It's no secret that the Baggy Greens love to sledge.

Triple M The Grill Team Brad Haddin tells an Australian radio station the Black Caps deserved the berating he gave them in the Cricket World Cup final.

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And playing in his first test, the fresh-faced 23-year-old was a prime target.

Yet Santner had Nathan Lyon baffled when the fellow spinner sent a few verbals his way.

"Lyon asked straight away 'are you nervous?' I was like, ah yeah, and that stopped the [conversation]," he told Radio Sport.

"Other than that, I was obviously nervous inside, I was just trying not to show it.

"Once that first ball went for four it was a bit easier."

"I tried to just keep it as simple as possible out there, and just try and treat it as another game."

With allrounders Corey Anderson and Jimmy Neesham sidelined with ongoing back problems, Santner is set to have more opportunities to impress ahead of the home series against Sri Lanka.

On Tuesday he retained his place in the national squad for the two tests against later this month, following a strong debut in the three-wicket defeat in Adelaide.

He took two wickets for the match with his left-arm spin and top-scored in the second innings with 45.

He told Radio Sport he grew up idolising Kiwi great Daniel Vettori and has modelled his bowling on the 113-test spinner.

"He was just my idol, I wanted to be like him. He did have quite a significant impact on me growing up and the way I bowl now," Santner added.

The series against Sri Lanka gets under way on December 10 in Dunedin followed by the second test in Hamilton from December 18.