Testing time for Dhoni

The India national cricket team has arrived in New Zealand on 20th February 2009. It is merely a coincidence that on 20th February 1968, the Indian team won their first Test match outside India. In these 41 years, India has won only 3 Test matches in New Zealand.

India’s past

Presently, the Indian squad appears stronger than the host team on paper. The Indians have been unrestrained regarding talking of the ambition to become the No. 1 team in the world. Currently, the team has been ranked 3rd in both ODIs and Tests. The upcoming 50 days would be India’s answer of their lofty dream of reaching the top. All the other rankings and ratings and the victories over Australia, West Indies and England in the recent past would be of little worth, if India continue the style that began in 1981. This trend was of no ODI series or Test triumph in New Zealand. Isn’t it a massive abnormality that India has not been able to taste victory in New Zealand for such a long span of time? Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh and Rahul Dravid together have been unsuccessful in winning a single Test match on New Zealand soil. Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble retired in the absence of such a success. Due to this background, one concludes that the next 50 days are a great testing time for Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s team.

New Zealand’s background

One must note that New Zealand has a good record at home. They have displayed good form in India also. Their last series in India was drawn and on the previous tour, they had nearly won the Mohali Test. In bilateral contests between the two nations in the recent past, New Zealand has maintained a better performance.