It was a rare occurrence, an instance in a press conference where the question revealed just as much, if not more, about the underlying issue.

"Of the six years that I've lived in Australia there's a general feeling that the Australians look down their noses at New Zealand when it comes to cricket," journalist Steve Marshall, the Sydney-based Australia correspondent for NZ's public broadcaster, explained to Tim Southee, the NZ fast bowler.

"How much of this is about respect for the Black Caps and proving that you're worthy?"

The rare matches between Australia and NZ – the Black Caps last visited Australia for a one-day series in early 2009 – are a reflection of how NZ's proximity to Australia is inverse to the priority in terms of scheduling. It has been 27 years since the Black Caps played a Boxing Day Test at the MCG, and Cricket Australia has all but confirmed every Boxing Day opponent until 2023, and NZ is not one of them.

That the Black Caps have reached the final day of the tournament has ensured they have "gained a little bit of respect" from Australia, their opponents in Sunday's final at the MCG.

"The rivalry with Australia and New Zealand pretty much does cover every sport, and it's massive. We're probably seen as the little brothers from across the ditch," Southee said.

"We do do quite well in other sports to compete. Obviously, Australia have had the wood on us in cricket over the past few years but we're slowly starting to even that ledger. In times gone by we probably haven't played to our potential, of being as consistent as we should have been. In the past two years we've slowly gained a bit more respect around the world because of the cricket we're playing and the brand of cricket."

While there may be an element of some Australian supporters being habitually dismissive of NZ's cricketing standing, the other factor in the slow acknowledgement of their improvement has been the out-of-sight, out-of-mind factor. In between NZ beating Australia in a Test in Hobart in December 2011, and then defeating them a month ago, earlier in the World Cup, the only meeting between the teams was a match in the 2013 Champions Trophy ruined by rain.

Southee endorsed the theory that the biggest factor in the Black Caps' rise since then has been the partnership between captain Brendon McCullum and coach Mike Hesson in late 2012.

When the Black Caps visited the MCG in October to familiarise themselves with the venue, in preparation for their now-realised goal of reaching the final, Hesson was unwilling to reflect on the move he engineered five months into his tenure as coach: to strip Ross Taylor of the Test captaincy in favour of McCullum, an appointment which extended to limited-overs after a then-shattered Taylor rejected the offer.

"It was a difficult time for everybody but ... we're past that," he said. "Ross is a key player for us in all forms of the game and he's continued that."

When the McCullum-Hesson partnership began, the Black Caps were ranked eight in both Test and one-dayers. That ranking has since risen to five in both formats, with an expectation of a further sharp growth given their scalps: one-day series wins away to South Africa and England, and beating the West Indies and drawing against Pakistan and Bangladesh in Test series on the road.

Southee declared that had it not been for the partnership between Hesson, a meticulous planner, and McCullum, an aggressive and inspirational leader, the Black Caps would not be in the position to snare the tournament title on Sunday.

"They've done a great job since they've teamed up together. That's probably the reason we're sitting here today," Southee said. "They've turned the team around from where we were a few years ago and created an environment and a brand of cricket that works for the team. We're really enjoying playing, and getting people back on board. We're playing a great brand of cricket and it seems to be working."

Southee said he and his teammates were chuffed that their performances had garnered such fervent support at home, where rugby typically reigns.

"As a kid growing up you either want to be an All Black or a Black Cap. This is as good as it gets," he said. "Brendon speaks a lot about it being the time of our lives, and the past couple of months I wouldn't replace [the experience] for anything. We never wanted it to end and we've made it last as long as we possibly can. One more big push and I'm sure it's something guys will remember forever."