By the time India wakes up on Thursday morning, their cricket team will have taken the field for what will be their last chance to win an away Test series this year. However, fans in India must remember that New Zealand can be a difficult place for players from the subcontinent, and by virtue of having this home advantage, New Zealand start with a slight edge.

It is an edge we must make the most of because the Indian batsmen are a dangerous lot. By the time they head off to Hamilton, they would have made the adjustments required to play in New Zealand and will be eager to come hard at us.

The two-Test series will be an interesting contest as it pits the highly talented Indian batting line-up against a more-than-handy Kiwi bowling attack. Plenty has already been written about Shane Bond, the young fast bowler who will be looking to take a few prized scalps in this Indian batting line-up. India would not have seen much of Bond since this is the first time he will be playing against them. He is a very quick bowler who has touched 145-150 kms an hour regularly, and what really sets him apart is his ability to get the ball to swing into the batsman at that speed.

Bond burst onto the scene with a sensational debut in Australia and has been an asset to the side ever since. Pace bowlers are charismatic figures on a cricket field, and his presence adds a spring in the stride of every Black Cap.

On the Indian side, there is a highly respected batting line-up that will be eager to prove that they have the goods for all kinds of wickets and conditions. Wellington is extremely cold and windy at present, and the conditions certainly favour the bowlers. The wicket too looks hard and green, and the ball should swing around prodigiously. These are very difficult conditions for batsmen, and particularly so for batsmen who were playing on the flat featherbeds of India barely three weeks ago.

Thanks to the large amount of cricket they have played of late, the Indians are match-fit. I’m sure they feel they would have benefited with some more practice games in New Zealand, which would have helped them acclimatise better for the Tests. They may find the going tough in the first Test, and we must drive home this advantage. The Indians are a talented bunch and they will be a far more well-adjusted side in Hamilton, which is why it is imperative that we exploit the conditions at Wellington.

As far as the New Zealand batting is concerned, I have cornered most of the media attention due to a pair I got in a domestic game. However, I did get some good scores in the last Test series we played - our win in the West Indies - and I’m relying on that to see me through this slump.

Other Articles by Stephen Fleming:

• We would like to end the series on a winning note (13 January 2003)
• New Zealand plan to take first strike (07 January 2003)
• Hoping for a bright start to the New Year (31 December 2002)
• India will bounce back in the ODI series (24 December 2002)
• A green wicket awaits at Hamilton (17 December 2002)
• India will find New Zealand a tough challenge (11 December 2002)

© Gameplan