Australian cricket coach Justin Langer says they have a challenge ahead of them as they head into the Boxing Day test at the MCG on Thursday. 

Speaking exclusively to 6PR Langer says he's not getting ahead of himself with calling his team one of the best test sides. 

"When we play New Zealand it's an absolute arm wrestle, whilst we played great cricket in the first test we're going to have to be really on top of it to beat the second best team in the world.
"If we can do that, we're certainly moving in the right direction," he says.   

Langer has been at the helm of the Aussie cricket team since last year, but he's starting to reap the rewards after taking over a troubling side and shared a heartwarming story of a stranger who approached him in the streets of Fremantle. 

"It looked like a farmer was just walking past me and grabbed hold of me and he goes 'thank you so much for bringing the Australian cricket team back... we really like them again', to see that progress is really heartening," Langer told 6PR.