Adam Parore: NZ bowlers must start thinking on their feet

Adam Parore

In broad terms, whether the final outcome of the one-day series is 3-1 or 4-0 to India doesn't matter. That horse has bolted. That said, today's final ODI at Eden Park is important in terms of looking ahead to the tests.

New Zealand must start winning again. If not today, then when?

New Zealand, particularly their bowlers, must find a way to arrest India's momentum. No one expects them to win, but what fans want to see - and have a right to see - are signs that New Zealand are thinking on their feet, challenging India and at least getting close to what is required.

So I'll be looking for a different approach from the bowling attack today. That might, for example, be reverting to the old 1992 World Cup trick and opening with spinner Dan Vettori for a few overs, or attempting to make India think outside the box with something they haven't come up against thus far.

If New Zealand simply go out and do the same things they have in the last few games I'll be disappointed, because it will suggest either they don't have any fresh thinking or they have been cowed into the view of "let's just get through the final ODI and start again for the tests".

Let's face it, what they've done so far hasn't exactly worked, so what's the harm is trying something new? How much worse can it get? If it doesn't pan out, at least they've given it a crack.

I've been hugely impressed with the Indians. The key has been how they've put our bowlers under pressure. New Zealand's reaction has been poor, and that's being kind.

India are playing as a team, which is unusual for sub-continental sides. They bat in pairs, bat as a collective and it seems the real focus is the volume of runs they score as a unit, as opposed to the attention being on individual players' achievements.

That's added a layer to their game. MS Dhoni can take much credit for this. He is probably not much better than an adequate wicketkeeper, but he's a quality batsman and the evidence suggests he's a good leader.

Back to the tests. I see no reason why New Zealand should carry the scars of the ODI series into the first match at Hamilton next week.

The bowlers will be desperately disappointed in themselves, but will they be feeling mentally destroyed?

They shouldn't be. They must back themselves, but equally they can't be cock-a-hoop. They must be aware of the realities of their situation.

I don't think the fact the bowlers have been hammered in the one-dayers should mean the end of the road in the tests. But New Zealand must play out of their skins to keep pace with India.

If you'd looked at the series before it began, you would have picked New Zealand to have a decent shot in the ODIs and struggle in the tests.

The evidence now suggests the tests are going to be a lot harder than we thought, so it's time to acknowledge a few hard truths.

Some New Zealand bowlers may go for plenty in the tests; some of India's batsmen could make very large hundreds. That's just reality.

The challenge is being able to come up with ways to combat it. That's what New Zealand teams of the past were good at, winning ugly and making the very best of the talents at our disposal.

If the pitches are a bit damp, or have more hair on them, we will have a chance. If they're anything like the ODI strips, we're in trouble.