Captain of the Indian side, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, said that his team was looking at redemption after suffering a poor end to the previous season. India lost eight Tests in a row, four to England and then four to Australia, "Yes, we had a disappointing last eight Test matches (abroad), but if you look at the positive side of it, there is only one way and that's going up," Dhoni said.
Dhoni's eyes are set on a series victory as his side takes on New Zealand in a two Test series that starts on the 23rd of August 2012. "We're expected to win the series and if you talk about starting well it means winning the series, which means looking ahead for the next 15 days. For us, it will be to start the Test match on a positive note," he said. The Indian skipper did however mention that his team would need to get things right after a long break, "We have not played a Test match in the last six to seven months, so it will be important to turn up on the field and look to do small things right. So it's important to get into the groove, give a bit more respect to the bowlers."
Test is a format that lays emphasis on sessions and Dhoni pointed out that his team's success depends on how his side performs in each of those sessions, "By starting well means winning small sessions and if you win majority of them, you win Test matches and get into the next zone. We are looking to do that." The Indian skipper maintained that his side wasn't going to pressurize themselves by getting desperate for a win, "We never get desperate because that puts extra burden on the team. As I said we think and prepare well for a game. We are concerned more about the process than the results."
Talking about the home advantage, Dhoni felt that there isn't anything wrong in making a pitch that would suit his strengths, "Definitely, there is nothing wrong in that. I've always said that when you go to different parts of the world you expect something different. The same way when you come to the sub-continent, it's not like I'm talking about India, it could be Sri Lanka, Pakistan or Bangladesh, you need to have wickets that turn and assist the spinners. That's why they are special," he said.
"We are hoping there will be something for the spinners from this wicket. The red soil content is more which means the fast bowlers will get a bit of bounce. But overall it seems, the spinners will get a bit of turn as the game progresses," Dhoni added.
Talking about the fitness of his players, Dhoni revealed his lighter side, "I asked the physio and he said apart from him all the players are fit. By him he actually meant himself. All the players are fit and available for selection."
Harbhajan Singh is not a part of the squad that will take on New Zealand, however, his exploits against the Kiwis in their last tour was not forgotten by Dhoni, "The memories I have of that last series is Harbhajan's two centuries, definitely we will miss him. We were in a position from where we could have lost a Test but Harbhajan stood up with two back-to-back centuries."
New Zealand may have been poor in recent times, but the Indian skipper feels they are not to be taken lightly, "New Zealand are a good side and it's important for us to look into the areas we need to work on. That's what we did in the last ODI series that concluded in Sri Lanka and similarly we look to do same things in Test cricket."
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