India`s NZ tour to serve as prep for 2015 World Cup

Zee Media Bureau/Chaitan Papnai

New Delhi: MS Dhoni-led Team India has left the country on Saturday night to play a series in New Zealand consisting five ODIs and two Tests. Though India have travelled a lot in last couple of years -- to almost every test playing nation, it would be their first visit to New Zealand after five long years. It means, not many players in the young Indian side have been to the country before, so the conditions would be alien to them. Only skipper MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma and Ishant Sharma were part of the last Indian team that visited the country. Therefore, acclimatizing would be the first task for the Indians and adopting the conditions would be the next. It’s the first series of 2014 for Team India and Dhoni & Co will try to start the year on a good note. Considering the 2015 ICC World Cup, to take place in Trans-Tasman nations, Dhoni’s entire focus would be on the ODIs, as it could help India to find out the players who are best suited to these conditions. And if India want to remain at the top in ODI ICC rankings in the near future they have to win the five-match series. So, this tour is crucial for the team in more than one way. If less or no experienced players like Varun Aaron, Stuart Binny and Ishwar Pandey prove their mettle during the tour, then seniors like Raina, Dhoni and Ishant have to make sure that play with maturity and improve their overseas record. All in all, NZ tour will be seen as a preparation for Team India to defend their World Cup title.