Conditions were a much-talked-about aspect in the first Test of the series in Bengaluru. Following Rohit Sharma’s misreading of the pitch and the overheads, New Zealand made better use of what suited them. In Pune, that could still be a point of contention as New Zealand gets in with a shot at history. They could be met with a lot drier conditions in Pune, and the challenge now would be to try and beat India in different ways.

If there isn’t much assistance for the pacers, can they still find ways of breaking through and putting India under pressure? Can their spinners step up after having a lacklustre outing in not-so-favourable conditions in Bengaluru? With the three Tests coming with little turnaround time, New Zealand may have an edge as they look to carry that confidence forward. They’d managed that win despite the lack of runs from senior batters such as Tom Latham and Daryl Mitchell, and would be hoping that the duo strengthen their fold by chipping in.

India were floating in a similar boat till after that dreaded first-innings in Bengaluru, but with fifties for both Rohit and Virat Kohli, some of those nerves ought to have eased. They’ve shown a keenness to embrace an aggressive batting approach, and some part of that approach contributed to their 46 all out. While they still want to stick to that philosophy largely, there is also a pushback towards doing it at the right times.

“There’s a balance that needs to be struck and it’s something we work on all the time with the players and it’s something that they’re aware of as well,” said Ryan ten Doeschate, the assistant coach. The approach from teams across the world is also influenced by the World Test Championship believed Doeschate. “I think the nature of the WTC where draws are worth nothing essentially, four points compared to 12. So always in the back of the mind, you’re trying to push the game forward and it takes a bit of bravery to do that and some teams are doing it very successfully. We want to make sure that our guys are equipped to do that when needed as well.”

If India were to lose the Pune Test, they’d need to win four of their six remaining Tests until the WTC final, to make sure they get there without relying on other results. With five of them in Australia, they’d be happier if they tried and get as many in the bank at home