A Black Caps sequence of test wins over West Indies, India and West Indies again is encouraging.
But we need to remind ourselves that we have not been tested against Australia and South Africa in the same period.
The previous summer, we more than held our own against England, and there was a test win in Sri Lanka.
With the inevitable decline of Dale Steyn and the retirement of Jacques Kallis and Graeme Smith, South Africa will be a less formidable opponent, and Australia will not be the force they were, despite trouncing England in the Ashes series in Australia.
We certainly have major strengths.
Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor are now world class as top-order batsmen, BJ Watling is developing into a keeper-batsman of genuine quality, and Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Neil Wagner are a reliable bowling attack, genuinely dangerous when the ball is swinging or seaming.
Guiding them all is the best and most positive captain in world cricket, Brendon McCullum, who adds a great deal of value with his batting and his athleticism in the field.
There are still negatives.
Tom Latham, Corey Anderson, Jimmy Neesham, Ish Sodhi and Mark Craig are still works in progress, and there is a desperate need for a opener with the grit and skill of Mark Richardson.
The biggest disappointment to me is the continued failure of Southee to knuckle down at the crease and show the same sort of maturity that he shows with the ball.
Surely the batting coach can work on him if he is to remain at No 8 in the order.
Next year's series away in England and Australia should provide the benchmark to judge the potential of the current crop of Black Caps.
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