Brendon McCullum believes New Zealand are on an upward curve as a Test nation, yet is aware they have to "earn the right" to play the game's premier form more frequently.
The Black Caps' place in the world rankings, of eighth, means they are not considered one of the marquee sides who will subsequently earn longer series against those higher up the standings.
However, since his appointment as skipper, McCullum has overseen a slight upturn in fortunes, with New Zealand competitive against world number two England in five of their recent Tests.
The sides battled out a 0-0 draw in New Zealand, with the tourists twice behind the eight-ball, before Alastair Cook's side won the Investec Test series 2-0.
But, even in the latter, the Kiwis impressed; they were competitive at Lord's before being dismissed for 68 chasing 239 and their bowlers showed an ability to claim wickets regularly.
"If you look back over the five Tests against them we have played some good cricket and taken strides forward," said McCullum "It's early days for us.
"We have guys who have performed well in patches and poorly in other patches but if you fast forward 18 months this team has the makings of a good cricket team.
"We have the right mix and right balance in this group but we just need to smooth out some rough edges. We have to make sure we are more polished when we get back together.
New Zealand's next Test assignment, against Bangladesh, does not come until October.
"It's a big gap now for the Test side," added McCullum. "We would love to play more Test cricket and we have to earn the right to do so.
"It is a touch frustrating that we will not get the opportunity for the new few months."
While that disappointment is obvious, McCullum can look forward to leading his side in a three-match one-day international series against England and the subsequent Champions Trophy.
"We have got eight new guys coming back in for the one-day games, the ODI series and obviously the Champions Trophy," he said. "Some of those guys are quite experienced too.
"One of the things we have been able to do is move between the forms of the game and refocus ourselves too. That is what this is going to require in a short turnaround."
Moving between formats could bring added difficulty given McCullum conceded self-doubt crept into the dressing room after New Zealand were dismissed so cheaply at Lord's.
However, despite his side returning to the scene of that collapse in Friday's opening ODI, he is confident the Kiwis' batsmen will relish the change in pace.
"It's a change of game and the demands on batsmen are a lot different," added McCullum. "We are a confident one-day unit and, while we have not played together for a little why, the guys are pretty confident.
"I do not think anybody is out of form; sometimes you do not get runs and it does not necessarily mean you are out of form, you're just out of runs. If you look around the changing room, everyone is hitting the ball quite nicely. I think we'll be fine with the bat in hand in the one-day series."
One worry for New Zealand is a side injury picked up by left-arm seamer Trent Boult that meant he could not bowl in England's second innings at Headingley.
"He's not looking great (for the ODI series and Champions Trophy). He'll have an MRI scan," said McCullum. "He's not moving freely. It's disappointing because he's been a revelation for us. Without Trent, things will be a little harder for us."