Thursday 22 September 2016 08:13, UK
New Zealand coach Mike Hesson is anticipating an onslaught from India's spin attack when the two sides face each other in the first Test in Kanpur on Thursday.
The Black Caps, led by in-form captain Kane Williamson, are hoping to upset the odds against India in a three-match Test series - starting in the notoriously bowler-friendly Green Park Stadium tomorrow, live on Sky Sports 2.
New Zealand have won just two Test matches in India in their history and Hesson knows the size of the challenge facing his men.
"There will be plenty of assistance for spin, the pitch will deteriorate and there will be reverse swing, so no surprises," Hesson said.
"It'll be no surprise if one or two spinners open with the new ball at some stage. We are prepared for it, but dealing with it out in the middle is quite a different story.
"You can jump at shadows sometimes, but we need to adapt to whatever we're confronted with. We've got an idea how the surface might play, but it could be quite different."
"We have won two Test matches in our history here. So we know it is a tough place to come and win," Hesson added.
"As it is for any touring side. And India are playing good cricket at the moment, but we have got a group of cricketers who will be highly competitive. That's our challenge. To be highly competitive and stay in the game for long periods of time. Then anything can happen."
New Zealand go into the first Test without the injured duo of Jimmy Neesham and Tim Southee, while Hesson is likely to select three spinners - Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi and Mark Craig - for the series opener.
India, meanwhile, can boast an embarrassment of riches in their bowling attack and captain Virat Kohli could go with as many as five bowlers - with Ravichandran Ashwin, Amit Mishra, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Umesh Yadav all vying for a spot in the hosts' line-up.
However, Ishant Sharma has been ruled out of the Test with chikungunya - a mosquito-borne viral infection. Despite that setback, Kohli remains confident of securing a victory in what is set to be India's 500th Test match.
"We believe we certainly have what it takes to be the best team in the world," Kohli said. "One area we have tapped into is belief. It's something that a lot of young players can lack coming into international cricket.
"It's all about getting rid of that feeling. That's the only way you can go out there, be confident and express yourself. Express how good you are, and that's what this team has done.
"More often than not if you're fearless, the results will fall your way because you're willing to take that extra risk in the course of the game. I certainly feel that this team has what it takes to be the best."
New Zealand face India in Kanpur tomorrow before heading to Kolkata's Eden Gardens for the second Test on September 30.
The final match of the series will be played at the Holkar Stadium in Indore on October 8 before the two sides face each other in a five-match one-day international series starting October 16 in Dharamsala.
India squad: Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Virat Kohli (captain), Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Amit Mishra, Ravindra Jadeja, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar
New Zealand squad: Kane Williamson (captain), Trent Boult, Doug Bracewell, Mark Craig, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, James Neesham, Henry Nicholls, Luke Ronchi, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Ross Taylor, Neil Wagner, BJ Watling
Watch the first Test between India and New Zealand, live on Sky Sports 2 from 4:50am on Thursday, 22 September
