India will cope well in NZ: Chauhan

Chetan Chauhan feels Dhoni's men are in great form to be bogged down by lack of warm-up match for New Zealand tour

THE lack of a practice game for the upcoming New Zealand tour will certainly hamper India's preparation. But former Test opener and manager Chetan Chauhan believes that Mahendra Singh Dhoni's team is just too strong for the Kiwis to be troubled by the home team.

"A match before a Test series is always good because you settle down to the wickets and the conditions but the good thing is that we have been playing continuously and our team is in top form. The pace bowlers, the spinners and batsmen all are in good form. And, having beaten Australia and England, their confidence is high and it is a big advantage," Chauhan told MiD DAY.

Chauhan was the India's manager on the 2007-08 tour of Australia where lack of adequate practice was evident in India's huge defeat in the first Test. He said New Zealand just do not have the strength to take advantage.

"Indian players are professionals and will acclimatise quickly. Also, they will be playing Sri Lanka before taking on the Kiwis.

"And, with many players having gone to ICL (some even taking premature retirements), NZ has weakened. I think we will do very well," Chauhan said.

Chauhan was part of Sunil Gavaskar's team in New Zealand in 1980-81. It was his last series for India