Marsh's great record over NZ capt McCullum

Has Mitch Marsh worked out New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum?

Marsh is too smart to suggest as much on the eve of McCullum's final international match but Australia's premier allrounder boasts an impressive recent record.

Marsh trapped McCullum lbw at the Basin Reserve, dismissing him for a fourth time this summer in Tests.

The 24-year-old also did the job once during the recent ODI series.

Englishmen Stuart Broad and Monty Panesar, plus South Africa's spearhead Dale Steyn, have dismissed McCullum more than four times in Tests.

Jason Gillespie is the only other Australian to get the better of McCullum so often.

That's across a career that has spanned 100 games and almost 12 years.

So how has Marsh rattled one of the sport's most-destructive batsmen so consistently in 2015-16?

"Probably coincidence," Marsh smiled on Wednesday.

"We always have plans for every batter so it's nice when they come off and you get him out and, hopefully, we'll continue to do that.

"It'd be nice (to get him again). To be honest, I don't care who gets him as long as someone does."

McCullum's farewell is putting bums on seats for the second trans-Tasman Test that starts on Saturday, with days one and two already sold out.

The 34-year-old's imminent departure is also at the forefront of teammates' minds.

"There was a lot of emotion in (the first Test at the Basin Reserve)," NZ paceman Trent Boult said, adding he owed a lot to McCullum.

"His last one, it's going to be pretty sad.

"Everyone has played with him for that long and he's good mates with everyone in the team.

"He's changed the game ... he's going to be sorely missed."

McCullum has struggled against Australia, averaging a relatively modest 24.59 in 15 Tests.

But Marsh knows he is still more than capable of taking the game away from Australia in a single session.

"If he comes out swinging, I'll probably just stay at gully, I reckon," Marsh said.

"If you play against guys enough, you're going to have opportunities to get them out.

"He's a high-class player and a big wicket ... we do always get up for him."

BOWLERS WHO HAD THE WOOD ON BRENDON McCULLUM IN HIS 100-TEST CAREER:

* 6 dismissals - Stuart Broad, Monty Panesar, Dale Steyn

* 4 dismissals - Mitch Marsh, Jason Gillespie, Muttiah Muralitharan, Umar Gul, Jerome Taylor, Rangana Herath

McCULLUM'S TRANS-TASMAN TEST TROUBLES:

* Overall record: 6283 runs from 174 innings at average of 38.07 with 11 tons

* Trans-Tasman record: 664 runs from 28 innings at average of 24.59 with 1 ton