India just couldn't win.

Not only did they lose both Tests in the National Bank Series, they found their over-rate was so slow in the first Test in wind-blown Wellington that they lost 35% of their match fees.

If they didn't feel fleeced over the conditions that developed at the Basin Reserve and Westpac Park, then that fine was probably the final straw.

While the wet early summer was clearly an influence on the pitches that were produced, it was the same for both sides.

It is all too easy to say the New Zealand's batsmen know how to handle these pitches.

From the observations in the two matches, they are clearly little better at handling them than the Indians were.

New Zealand were advantaged by the winning of the toss on both occasions, although it must also be said that the Indian bowlers were not the fearsome unit that the New Zealanders were, especially in Wellington where the pace of Shane Bond was a new experience for the visiting batsmen.

It was the ability to utilise the bounce in both Test pitches from tall men like Daryl Tuffey and Jacob Oram that was most significant. That, and their generally relentless accuracy.

India's Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra were finding their lengths by the end of the second Test and a third Test played in more favourable conditions could have seen them as a more fearful prospect.

However, the abbreviated nature of a two-Test series satisfies no-one. The players are just getting into their rhythm and it is all over while the public, especially in rain-shortened matches like these were, are left in a blur over what actually happened.

While the odd ball may remain in the mind's eye as something worth recalling from the series, it is batting that fans most like to recall and sadly that wasn't on offer from either side.

Certainly there were glimpses of the supreme technician that Rahul Dravid is, and there was 50 runs of delight from Sachin Tendulkar in Wellington. Mark Richardson's international season came and went in a flash and he will now be looking to score heavily in the State Championship.

The conditions did best suit New Zealand but there were extenuating circumstances. And there will be plenty of former New Zealand players who have been to India who will say that they have also had to play in conditions that were of far more value to the home team than they were to New Zealand, whether deliberate or otherwise.

So there should not be any bleeding hearts among New Zealanders about how unsporting it all was. What goes around comes around, and always has done in sport.

What was encouraging from New Zealand's point of view was that the side was capable of taking advantage of the position it found itself in, this despite a lack of matchplay and all the upset that had occurred with the players' strike.

Oram emerged as a potential all-rounder replacement for Chris Cairns, whenever his career reaches its end. It will be interesting to follow his development in the tougher conditions coming up in New Zealand's future Test programme.

Robbie Hart confirmed that he was a fine choice as a wicket-keeping replacement for Adam Parore and his catch to dismiss Sourav Ganguly in Hamilton in India's second innings was one to store on video tape and recall many times over.

Mind you India could claim the same of their 17-year-old star Parthiv Patel, whose effort to remove Nathan Astle could have been a match-winner with a little more luck going India's way.

What was of concern was the lack of work for left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori. While the New Zealand camp were happy with the victories, there must be concern that Vettori has been increasingly shut out of Test matches in this country, and with twin series coming up in Sri Lanka and India, that is not good.

Taking into account the lack of bowling Vettori had on the fiery portable pitches in Christchurch and Auckland last summer, and no bowling in two Tests this year, that averages 21.14 overs per Test, 10 overs in one innings and 11 in the other.

Take out the 49 overs he bowled on the slow dry wicket in the second Test against England, and the situation is much worse.

Spin bowlers need to bowl and Vettori needs to be bowling more.

While it is easy to say he will get plenty of bowling on the subcontinent coming up, he still needs to be getting the work, and with all the one-day cricket coming up it is not the sort of diet a spin bowler would relish.

New Zealand still has problems, certainly off the field, if less so on, with the poor drainage of the Basin Reserve and Westpac Park. It is no longer acceptable to have sunny days and no cricket because the outfield is damp.

Things are on the improve and these problems are noted, but there are, if you'll pardon the pun, no grounds for complacency.

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