Expect some more evidence of applied technology analysis of India's batsmen and bowlers when New Zealand step out onto the Basin Reserve for the first National Bank Test starting tomorrow.

New Zealand gave Australia the toughest battle they have had since losing their three-Test series to India in early 2001, when drawing their series in Australia last year.

Part of the reason for that was a deliberate, and obvious, plan of attack for individual Australian players.

Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne were effectively neutered by the New Zealand batting plan while batsmen were all given the treatment with varied fielding positions, but the one most affected was middle-order batsman Damien Martyn.

Kiwi captain Stephen Fleming downplayed that part of New Zealand's philosophy today when saying it was something that was always done.

"The key thing for me was how well the players executed.

"You can have all the best plans in the world but they'll come to nothing unless players execute. The beauty of it was how well the guys bowled last year during the series and were able to put the batsmen under pressure.

"There's no secret that this is where we're going to get them out.

"It is about placing uncertainty, and putting pressure back on the batsman," he said.

"It's up to the bowler and they have ownership of that plan and it was a pretty good result I thought," he added.

One player the New Zealanders will be looking to work out is flying opening batsman Virender Sehwag who unleashed himself on world cricket at New Zealand's expense in Sri Lanka in 2001.

"He's aggressive, but I'm not sure what style he is going to play. Whether he's played on these types of wicket before I'm not sure.

"It's up to his technique, and it's up to us to exploit any flaws we may see in it.

"I'm sure he's got an idea of how he wants to play, we've got to combat that, and we've got to get him out quickly," Fleming said.

© CricInfo