Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson, batsman Henry Nicholls and spinner Mitchell Santner have been ruled out of the third and final Test with illness.
A virus has wreaked havoc on the Black Caps' preparations for the Sydney Test as they look to avoid a series whitewash.
The visitors have made an astonishing five changes to their team, with Tim Southee and Trent Boult also sitting this Test out.
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Boult had already been ruled out with a hand injury suffered in the Boxing Day Test, seeing medium-pacer Matt Henry brought in, while Southee has been dropped in favour of a second spinner.
Former NSW off-break bowler Will Somerville, and wrist spinner Todd Astle will hope to get something out of the spin-friendly wicket at the SCG.
Somerville and Astle have played three and four Tests respectively.
Opener Tom Latham will captain the Test side for the first time, while 23-year-old batsman Glenn Phillips will debut having been flown in overnight.
Right-hander Phillips averages 42.5 in first-class cricket.
The final change sees Jeet Raval recalled.
Raval, who was dropped following a difficult time in the first Test in Perth, offers yet another slown option for New Zealand with his leg-spinners.
If the task wasn't already big enough for Latham and his makeshift lineup, Australia won the toss and chose to bat on a pitch that, despite its green tinge, should be a good batting deck.
Looking to complete a clean sweep of the Test summer, the Aussie preparations have been in stark contrast to their opponents.
They flirted with the idea of bringing in leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson for a Test debut, though captain Tim Paine revealed at the toss that they would be going in unchanged.