England's tour of New Zealand moves into real business mode with the Test series starting on Wednesday and while skipper Nasser Hussain feels England are the underdogs he believes if his side can hit the track running they can soon turn that status around.

Refreshed after a week off in Queenstown, Hussain said the Test series, and the make-up of the side to try and beat New Zealand had never been far from his mind during his break.

He had the benefit of a long innings himself in the Canterbury match which ended today and is keen that other members of the side slip quickly into Test mode, although there was still work to be done to achieve that state in the lead-up practices for the Test which will be played on a drop-in pitch at Jade Stadium.

Hussain said he liked the fact that England could now concentrate on back-to-back games in the Tests.

"This is what we've all come for. It's nice having a week off in Queenstown and it's nice having these games. It's been nice and very friendly, almost like a festival weekend," he said of the Canterbury match.

"These are the three weeks we came for, it's proper cricket. They're a good side, played some fantastic cricket in Australia and we've really got to hit our straps because they are a good side.

"I think with the slight turnaround in our team, [Mike] Atherton and [Alec] Stewart are gone for various reasons we are the underdogs, but we've been the underdogs before. But underdogs doesn't mean anything, it's all how we play on Wednesday. That's all that counts.

"We are two very similar sides and whoever asks that question, whoever hits it hard on Wednesday will suddenly become favourites.

"If we bat like we did here [Christchurch] then we've got a good chance," he said.

Hussain also commented on the fitness controversy first raised by coach Duncan Fletcher earlier in the week.

He said getting the team fit was not his job but he believed he should have all players available at optimum fitness.

"If I had 15 people who are fully fit all the time it would make things very easy for me. It's not my job as captain to be involved in the fitness of players. I will see their fitness and I will know with a gut feeling how fit they are and how well they are playing, more importantly which is related to fitness, and then I will select the side.

"If they are not fit enough, or are not playing well enough then they don't play," he said.

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