17-Mar-2009 07:45:00 GMT
India in New Zealand, 2008/091st Test New Zealand v India at Hamilton - March 18-22, 2009
Hamilton: The limited-overs stuff is done, and it's time to concentrate on the five-day game, with the first of three Tests getting underway in Hamilton on Wednesday (March 18).
A bouncy track with a good sprinkling of grass awaits India in the first Test of the three-match series against New Zealand starting on Wednesday, casting the die for a veritable war of attrition between bat and ball.
In the Tests, Dhoni's team will try to emulate a feat which was last achieved by an Indian side more than 40 years back.
In the last four series, New Zealand have clearly been the superior team, winning four out of eight Tests. India have had some fine individual performances in those series - they've scored as many hundreds as the home team - but collectively they've clearly come out second-best.
Kyle Mills, who on his day can trouble established batsmen, Iain O'Brien and either Chris Martin or new-find Brent Arnel could form the seam quartet.
Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Virender Sehwag have the skill and experience to quell the Kiwi attack, though they had had a deplorable tour in 2002-03, when India had mustered a series-high score of 219.
The young Kiwis & un-experience would have to contend with the likes of Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma, who had rocked Australia and England even on docile wickets back home.
Match facts
Wednesday March 18 - Sunday March 22
Start time 11.00 am local (22.00 GMT previous day)
Highlights of the match
|
India |
New Zealand |
| Coach |
Gary Kirsten |
Andy Moles |
| ICC Ranking |
3 |
8 |
| Key Players |
Sehwag, Ishant, Rahul, Zaheer |
Ryder, Vettori, Taylor, Mills |
| Trivia & Stats |
In 1999, Dravid scored 190 and 103 not out in the Hamilton Test, the only instance of an Indian getting hundreds in each innings. |
Daniel Vettori has scored one century and two fifties in 12 innings, and averages an impressive 44.50. In his last three Tests, his scores read 137 not out, 20, 53, 88 and 35. |
| Weather |
India's rotten luck with the weather in New Zealand looks like it will continue. Several of their ODI matches were disrupted by rain and the opening Test in Hamilton will be no different. |
| Pitch |
The conditions would demand great discipline from the Indian batsmen to collar a seam attack. |
| Current Form |
WDWWD |
DLLDD (Recent last) |
| Head to head |
Total 44, India Won 14, New Zealnad won 9, Drawn 21 |
