The abject Black Caps were routed for 150 in their second innings and trounced by nine wickets in the first Gabba Test inside four days. -Photo by AFP

BRISBANE: Skipper Ross Taylor said on Sunday that well-beaten New Zealand had to work harder to be competitive against Australia to save the two-Test series in Hobart later this week.

The abject Black Caps were routed for 150 in their second innings and trounced by nine wickets in the first Gabba Test inside four days with debutant James Pattinson giving a man-of-the-match performance with five for 27.

It was a poor showing by the eighth-ranked Kiwis, spilling crucial catches to allow Australia to score 427 in the first innings and then capitulating before the pace onslaught of 21-year-old Pattinson.

The Kiwis have to quickly regroup ahead of Friday's second and final Test of the trans-Tasman series at Hobart's Bellerive Oval, if they are to return home with any positives ahead of their next series against Zimbabwe next month.

“You've got to give credit to James Pattinson, he put the ball in the right areas enough times for us to nick it,” Taylor said.

“But we've still got to be harder on ourselves as a batting unit. Not only this morning but on the first day there were some soft dismissals and Australia didn't have to work that hard for their wickets.”

Taylor, who had a poor match with scores of 14 and a first-ball duck, said before the start of Sunday's play his team still felt they were in the contest at 10 for one.

“We've just got to be harder on ourselves. We know Australia are going to come at us hard again in Tasmania. We need to play a lot better than we played today,” he said.

Of his own form, Taylor said: “It's a lot easier as captain. When you're a player you can probably go a little bit insular, but as a captain you've got to lead from the front.

“This is not going to be the last Test match that I don't score any runs in.

“I've been in this situation before, you still need to back yourself. There's another Test match and we're not out of this series, we can still draw it.”

After the loss, the Black Caps said they had added seamer Brent Arnel to their squad.

“We feel it's important to add a bit of bowling depth,” coach John Wright said.

“Brent has been bowling well at home and offers us another seam option.

“The conditions in Hobart are likely to be slower so he comes into the frame.”