Bay of Plenty batsman Kane Williamson has been targeted by the Aussies as the danger man in their Test series opener at the Gabba in Brisbane today.

Australian bowler Mitchell Starc has singled out the Black Caps cricketer as New Zealand's key player.

Kane Williamson in action for the Black Caps. Photo: File.

'I think their main guy is Kane Williamson,” admits Starc.

'Obviously there's Brendon (McCullum), who comes out and plays attacking cricket and tries to take the game on a score quickly, but Kane I guess in the past has scored most of their runs for them.”

It's a sentiment backed by former Black Caps batman and current batting coach Craig McMillan, who believes Kane is not only destined to become the Kiwis' leading test run-scorer, but will soon join Aussie Steve Smith and England's Joe Root among the world's best batsmen.

Kane already has a lofty reputation as well as the stats to back it up.

He was earmarked as a teenager by his domestic coach to be the Kiwis' future Michael Clarke, and so far he has not disappointed.

Kane is one of only six players to have reached 10 test tons by the age of 25, joining all-time greats Sir Donald Bradman, Sir Garfield Sobers and Sachin Tendulkar.

He has already amassed close to 3199 runs from 41 tests and, having turned 25 in August, still has the best part of a decade to overhaul the current New Zealand benchmark set by Stephen Fleming on 7172.

'It's been an excellent start and you have to say the way he plays he'll continue to score a lot of runs,” Craig says.

'When you look at those numbers and the exclusive company he's in in the early stage of his career, I think there's a good chance he'll end up New Zealand's No.1 leading test run-scorer at some stage.”

It is an opinion also shared by Kane's captain, Brendon McCullum. But why settle for being the best in your country when you have the potential to conquer the world?

Kane is seventh in the official world batting rankings, behind AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla and Younus Khan, but Craig thinks it is only a matter of time before the Bay cricketer joins Root and Smith at the top.

'I think it's exciting for world cricket when you have three young players like Steve Smith, Joe Root and Kane Williamson blazing the amount of runs they are, and they do it in different ways,” Craig says.

'The numbers they are starting to put up on the board are phenomenal.

'Over a number of years those three will be at the top of the list. There's a few others at the moment, but once those guys move on I think they are the next generation to be in that top three or four.”

Both Australian fast bowlers Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc pose a daunting challenge for Kane, but Craig believes the top order batsman and his Kiwis team-mates are up to the task.

'He'll be fine. All of the side are excited by the challenge of playing Australia in Australia,” Craig says.

'It doesn't matter where you tour around the world, the conditions always favour the home side and there are slight differences you have to adapt to.”

The test gets underway this afternoon at 1pm (NZ time).