India's cricketers arrived in New Zealand today for a richly anticipated series of tests, one-dayers and Twenty20s. Here we look at their stars
KEY POINTS:
They haven't won a test series in New Zealand for 41 years, but India arrive today in formidable shape to put an end to that drought.
Their first series here ended in a 3-1 win, but since then, they have lost four of six rubbers in New Zealand and drawn two, winning only one of 14 tests in that time.
However, as well as being the financial powerhouse of the world game, they have just beaten Australia 2-0 and have a good claim - although South Africa would disagree - to being the world's leading test team.
They are third in test rankings, five places ahead of New Zealand.
They are world Twenty20 champions ahead of June's tournament in England and third in the ODI rankings, one place ahead of New Zealand.
India are full of high-calibre cricketers, who also happen to be entertainers.
Here are five key areas to watch in the touring party:
1 The captain
MAHENDRA SINGH DHONI
Mahendra Singh Dhoni is, new teen idol Ishant Sharma notwithstanding, the Indian pinup hero.
He's the world's No 1 rated ODI batsman and a powerful personality.
Dhoni, 27, hails from a relative backwater of Indian cricket, born at Ranchi, in Bihar province near the borders with Nepal and Bangladesh in the east of the country. He made his first class debut 10 years ago and played the first of his 35 tests in December, 2005.
He took over the captaincy when Anil Kumble was injured against Australia last year and led India to a 2-0 victory.
His batting can be explosive. His test average is 36.14; that jumps to 48.28 in his 130 ODIs - and 60.68 since the start of last year.
His 183 not out against Sri Lanka at Jaipur in 2005 is the highest ODI score by a wicketkeeper.
He has led India in 46 ODIs, since taking over in 2007. He's won 28 of them, including 12 of the past 14.
Dhoni is not afraid to change things at short notice. During the whopping 320-run win in the second test at Mohali, he bumped himself up to No 3. He knew what he wanted from the innings as India pushed towards a declaration. His 68 made sure his objective was met and the Australians were blown away.
He can be hard-headed. He was unafraid to go negative in the final test against Australia when there was a chance of an Australian revival, standing behind the stumps down the leg side.
His glovework can be average and he's had his critics for that aspect of his game. But he is a charismatic figure - his was the highest price tag in the inaugural Indian Premier League auction, paid by the Chennai franchise, whom he repaid by leading to the final last year.
2 The openers
VIRENDER SEHWAG
The Delhi double act Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir have shared opening stands of 50 or more in 15 of their last 31 partnerships. They present an interesting contrast.
Sehwag, 30, is among cricket's most dashing batsmen. He averages 51.06 in 66 tests, with 15 centuries and 18 fifties, hitting 105 on debut against South Africa in 2001.
Only three men have scored 300 or more twice in a test innings, Don Bradman, Brian Lara and Sehwag. The two highest test scores by an Indian are his; indeed he has three of the top five marks.
He likes playing against Pakistan, against whom he has scored 309, 201 and 252. His 319 against South Africa in Channai last year came from only 304 balls.
Four of his 10 ODI hundreds have come off New Zealand, including at Napier and Auckland seven years ago. In 200 ODIs he's hit 6293 runs at 33.47.
An excitable character, Sehwag was banned once by match referee Mike Denness for excessive appealing.
His modus operandi, outlined after his favourite test innings, 201 out of 329 against Sri Lanka in Galle last July is: "No matter who the bowler is I always like to attack. I don't like to defend, and hate to leave deliveries. That is nothing but a waste of time."
Gambhir has been around a while but lost favour for several years before returning with a vengeance last season. He hit back-to-back centuries against Australia before Christmas, including 206 on his home ground Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi.
With his technique tightened around the off stump, the short lefthander is perhaps the form batsman of the entire Indian side. His 22 tests have given him an average of 49.35.
He does have a short fuse copping a one-test ban after elbowing Australian bowler Shane Watson in Delhi.
3 The new ball men
ISHANT SHARMA
Javagal Srinath this week labelled Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma the world's best opening combination.
You might say he would, given that he is a past leader of the Indian pace attack.
South Africa might put up Dale Steyn and Makhaya Ntini, with backup from Morne Morkel, as an argument, but the Indian pair are a class act.
Zaheer, 30, is a lively left arm swing bowler and capable batsman, who has been around for nine years; Sharma, 20, is the teen idol who burst on to the international stage in Australia last season, swinging the ball both ways at sharp pace from a height of 1.92m.
In 62 tests, Zaheer has taken 197 wickets at 34.04; Sharma's 15 tests have produced 44 at 31.59.
Zaheer is one of only five of the tourists to have played in New Zealand - the others are Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Harbhajan Singh and Virendar Sehwag - and took five-wicket bags in each of the Wellington and Hamilton tests in 2002-03.
He won a series in England in 2007. Two tests were drawn but at Trent Bridge, he took nine for 134 in a test made memorable for his complaints over English fielders tossing jelly beans on to the pitch in front of him. Peurile English behaviour strengthened his resolve.
In 157 ODIs, Zaheer, has taken 221 wickets at an impressive 28.87.
Sharma took 15 wickets in the four tests against Australia late last year, his long mane of hair flapping in the breeze in his run up. In 25 ODIs, he's taken 37 wickets at 29.54, including 20 in his last 10 matches.
If New Zealand fancy preparing green, seamers' pitches for the tests, the ability of these two men might make them think twice.
4 The spinners
HARBHAJAN SINGH
Part of Indian folklore revolves round the glory years of the spin men Bishen Bedi, Bhagwat Chandrasekhar, with his withered right arm, Erapalli Prasanna and Srinivas Venkataraghavan.
New Zealand players swore the ball hummed through the air as offspinner Prasanna let rip in the late 1960s.
Since then, there has invariably been at least one decent tweaker in the Indian lineup.
Since Anil Kumble's retirement late last year, another good leggie has emerged, Amit Mishra, who marked his debut against Australia with five for 71, seven in the match, which India won by 320 runs at Mohali.
Mishra has taken 20 wickets in his five tests and has yet to know defeat; three wins and two draws being his lot so far against Australia and England.
Where the great Kumble was tall and imposing, Mishra is short but an enthusiastic operator, as befitting a player who has had to wait a long time for his opportunity.
By contrast, Harbhajan Singh has been an institution since his debut 11 years ago. The 28-year-old from Jalandhar in the Punjab is among cricket's most controversial figures.
His latest dramas were when he was given a three-test ban in Australia last season for racially abusing Andrew Symonds. It was later reduced to a fine.
During the IPL he slapped Indian teammate Sreesanth and got an 11-game ban.
For all the loose cannon behaviour, Harbhajan can play. His 74 tests have produced 314 wickets at 30.88 - 39 in his last eight tests - and 202 in 180 ODIs.
His fame skyrocketed in 2001 when he took 32 wickets in India's stunning 2-1 home series defeat of Australia. The next best effort by an Indian in the series was three wickets.
Expect him to be a handful.
5 The middle order
SACHIN TENDULKAR
Since Sourav Ganguly retired late last year, the fabled Gang of Four have become three, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and V.V.S. Laxman.
There were suggestions last year that time was about to be called on some of the men who had made India's No's 3 through 6 perhaps the most famous middle order quartet in all tests.
Thankfully three of them are here, most likely for the last time, but they're not in New Zealand on a sympathy vote for a final trip round the world.
Consider India's last four tests.
Against Australia at Delhi, Laxman hit 200 not out; at Nagpur a week later Tendulkar made 109; against England at Chennai, Tendulkar made 103 leading India to a six-wicket win chasing 387; and at Mohali just before Christmas, Dravid scored 136.
Tendulkar, Mumbai's most famous sportsman, is world cricket's highest test and ODI runmaker, the closest thing to Bradman - according to the great Australian himself - and averages 54.27 and 43.95 respectively. Altogether the little master has cracked 83 international hundreds and 141 fifties.
Dravid, aka The Wall for his masterful defence and solid technique, is the sixth on both the test and ODI run charts, averaging 56.87 in tests, 39.49 in ODIs.
Laxman, whose test numbers are far better than in the shorter game, is the sixth highest Indian scorer with an average of 44.45.
Laxman is an elegant stylist, most famous for his 281 against Australia in Kolkata in 2001 which turned the series India's way.
For a while John Wright, then India's fledgling coach, reckoned every time he passed Laxman he felt like bowing to him.
* The six-week tour opens next Wednesday with the first of two Twenty20 internationals. India and New Zealand will also play five one-
dayers and three tests. Click here for full schedule.
Play nzherald.co.nz's rugby Pick the Score competition - go to:
pickthescore.nzherald.co.nz
