Fast bowler Shane Bond and batting mainstay Nathan Astle are still some way from gaining complete fitness to be part of the New Zealand cricket team which will be embarking on its next mission — a tour to India — in two months time.Bond, who has been out of cricket since suffering a stress fracture in his back during a triangular series in Sri Lanka in May, is “progressing nicely” but will take some time before resuming bowling, said New Zealand cricket’s sports science medical co-ordinator Warren Frost.“He’s still on the comeback trail and is building up his work in the gym. He is still a little from being back bowling,” Frost was quoted as saying by Wisden cricinfo website. Although Astle has resumed his build-up to full fitness, his training will be stepped up this week, he said.With no timeframe set for the duo’s return, stand-in coach Ashley Ross said in case they fail to undertake the tour, players with international experience will be accommodated in the team.New Zealand, who are scheduled to leave for India on September 23, will play two Tests and a triangular series, also involving world champions Australia, on the tour.Despite uncertainties over the availability of regular coach John Bracewell and some of the key players for the upcoming tour of India, New Zealand’s stand-in coach Ashley Ross today said his side was fully ready to face the challenges in the sub-continent.Ross, who is likely to take over Bracewell’s role during the tour, said all the players are in peak form which can help the side achieve what they have not done in their previous seven attempst — winning a Test series in India.“This side has played extremely well away from home in recent years. We won in Sri Lanka, we won our first series last year in the West Indies and when we toured England in 1999 we won that series and the bulk of players from those teams are still together. We have a very good record in Asia recently,” Ross told the Wisden cricinfo website.“We have been working very hard on our ability to play spin by approaching it in a more methodical way and in the way we approach each bowler.
