Napier Test: India look to seal the deal

Having taken a 1-0 lead in the series,Dhoni & Co will be wary of letting their guard slip,as has happened in the past.

In the conventional sense,ruthlessness isnt seen as a virtue. History textbooks use the word to describe oppressive emperors,and in present times,it is associated with heartless movers who jostle their way through the rat race. But in sporting arenas it is a celebrated trait that champion teams possess and others longingly aspire to acquire. Contrary to what is taught in schools,slamming the door on someones faces isnt considered bad manners.

In making it to the top-three of the Test rankings,India have shown glimpses of being ruthless. After the cakewalk at Hamilton,Thursday will see the start of a captivating contest whose impact goes beyond this series. Going into the Napier Test,New Zealand,who traditionally arent used to being shackled at home,find themselves in a jack-in-the-box situation,with the lid tight shut. On the other hand,India will use all their weight to expose the waning bouncability of the hosts,and so flaunt the cold-bloodedness thats become a mandatory requirement of the Test elite.

Where New Zealand need to shake off the mediocrity tag that looms large,India want results that will substantiate the swagger that they have recently cultivated.

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Interestingly,during the first Test in Hamilton,both India and New Zealand showed glimpses of the traits that they aspire. By finishing the game within four days,India showcased their hard-nosed attitude. But New Zealands fightback from 61/6 proved two things: One,that the Kiwis still have some fight left in them,and two,that India do tend to leave a few loose knots while tying up their opponents.

Getting better

These are new grounds even for MS Dhoni and his men,who have made it a habit of charting new courses. Through the last decade,India have become better travellers than they ever were but even then,they havent won consecutive Tests away from the sub-continent against a top-eight team since 1986. Escape routes werent diligently guarded by previous teams that believed in taking prisoners,but not in eliminating them at the first opportunity.

In the last five years,Australia and South Africa have been teams with a shoot-at-sight policy. Give them an inch and they would drill a hole,plant a pole and fly their flag over it to proclaim their territorial right over region.

The second half of the last decade has seen Australia and South Africa failing to win a series only once after they have drawn first blood. India,meanwhile,have flattered to deceive four times during the same period. Against Pakistan and England at home they failed to provide the finishing touches after going ahead. More importantly,they missed rare opportunities to nail Australia and South Africa on away trips after taking 1-0 leads. These are facts that are enough to justify Indias No 3 slot behind the two front-runners.

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The Indians,at the net session on Tuesday,seemed to lack their usual intensity,as they joked around,got involved in banter and generally took it easy. But then,thats a routine they have followed all through this highly successful campaign so far. Over the next five days,we can tell if there is a ruthless streak hidden within this easy going bunch.

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