Clearly, the team is banking on the truly international class attack of the experienced Javagal Srinath, the fast-rising Ajit Agarkar and Venkatesh Prasad to come good on bowler-friendly tracks.

However, skipper Mohammed Azharuddin said that the Indian batsmen will have to justify their potential for his bowlers to go for the kill.

The Indian skipper and coach talked at length on the team's strengths after the five-day training session wound up -- a day ahead of schedule -- at the Brabourne Stadium.

There were words of caution too. ``We would have to get our act together as quickly in the two practice matches preceding the Tests,'' observed Gaekwad. He felt that the two four-dayers gives the team sufficient time to get acclimatised to the conditions.

Azhar stressed the need to thwart the rivals in the opening Test to comeout good in the series -- a painful realisation of India's overseas track record.

Gaekwad credited the Kiwis as a ``highly competitive side'' while Azhar singled out Simon Doull and Chris Cairns as the ones to watch out.

The coach and captain reiterated their stance on the openers saying they wouldn't be looking beyond Navjot Sidhu, vice-captain Ajay Jadeja and Venkata Sai Laxman to do the job.

Gaekwad, emphatically stating that the four-day training sessions didn't constitute a camp, expressed his satisfaction at the pre-tour exercise. ``We have accomplished what we had set out to achieve,'' he said of the preparations, which included sessions on grassier tracks today.

The statistics are a bit disturbing for India. Their only series win in New Zealand came three decades back under Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi's leadership. In fact, it also was India's first overseas series victory. India last won a Test match in New Zealand in the 1975-76 series at Auckland -- Sunil Gavaskar's first Test as captain inwhich Dilip Vengsarkar made his international debut.