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Brendon McCullum
will return to the top of the order for New Zealand's Tests against
India, set to open with Martin Guptill after playing at first drop
during the past two series. Daniel Flynn, BJ Watling and Rob Nicol were
all given a chance to partner Guptill during New Zealand's past two
series, against South Africa and New Zealand, but that won't be the case
this time around.
"Martin Guptill and Brendon will open the innings," the New Zealand captain Ross Taylor
told reporters in India after the squad touched down ahead of the first
Test, starting in Hyderabad on Thursday. "Brendon batted well here on
previous occasions and, hopefully, he will continue in the same vein in
the upcoming Tests."
McCullum's highest Test score, 225, came on New Zealand's most recent
Test tour of India, during the Hyderabad Test of 2010-11. McCullum and
his team-mates don't have long to acclimatise to the conditions ahead of
the first Test, but Taylor said the players were familiar enough with
India that he was confident they could adjust quickly.
"We would certainly like to put some good plans in place and be positive
about the way we look to play. India is a familiar place for a lot of
us," he said. "We have played well here and are looking forward to the
contest."
New Zealand are coming off a demoralising tour
of the West Indies in which they lost the Tests and limited-overs legs
comprehensively. They also lost 1-0 last time they visited India for
Tests, but their bowlers at times left the Indian batting in positions
of trouble, and their batting clicked, the highlights being McCullum's
double-century and a debut hundred by Kane Williamson.
Harbhajan Singh rescued India from dicey positions in the series,
scoring two centuries and a fifty. Taylor said the side would
nevertheless take heart from that tour.
"We hadn't had bad memories the last time we played here. Brendon got
225. We had our opportunities but Harbhajan batted well and took the
game away from us. However, it is a different time of the year, and
hopefully, we will continue to play well."
Daniel Vettori, with 14 wickets, was the highest wicket-taker in the
series. Taylor said his spinners would be keen to take advantage of the
conditions. "They have a few spinners in their side and we don't play
lot of spinners back home," he said. "It will be a good challenge and we
are looking forward to put India under pressure."
He said India played well at home and his side would have to take that
into account. "India is always tough in their home conditions. Whether
they play north or down south they play very well. We should be careful
about the reverse swing and the spinners. We have to learn quickly
through the series."
The two-Test series will be followed by two T20Is in September as a prelude to the World T20.
© ESPN EMEA Ltd.
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