Hazlewood removed three of New Zealand's top four batsmen under lights on Saturday to give his side the ascendancy in the inaugural day-night Test at Adelaide Oval.

The 24-year-old had struggled to replicate the form he showed a year ago in his debut summer and in the mid-year series in the West Indies. In the Ashes he was struggling to keep the runs down while Starc and Johnson attacked at the other end. This saw him replaced for the final Test of the series.

Hazlewood was pleased to help restrict the Black Caps to 5-116, a lead of 94 at stumps on day two. Starc's availability for the rest of the summer is in doubt due to a stress fracture in his right foot.

"I think everyone has that responsibility to step up a little bit and fill that gap. I feel like I did that tonight," he said, describing his 3-32 from 16 overs as "certainly up there" with his best Test bowling performances.

"It's quite enjoyable bowling at night with that relatively new pink ball," he said. "With the pink ball, while it's new you have to attack quite a bit, because once that shine goes off, it doesn't do a lot, unless it is at night."

Hazlewood had two catches dropped off his bowling under lights on day two, with captain Steve Smith to blame on both occasions. While the  first was not expensive, as Brendon McCullum only made another 13 runs before being dismissedd, wicketkeeper B.J. Watling will start day three at the crease with an opportunity to make Australia pay for the chance spurned in the third-last over of the day when he was on two.

Even though the prospect of resting Hazlewood in either Perth or Adelaide was raised by Smith, because of concerns about how much he had bowled, the New South Welshman reckoned his post-Ashes recuperation period had him well placed to play the rest of the summer.

"The body is feeling really good, if not feeling better each match," he said.