A look back at India's tour of New Zealand

Ecstatic New Zealand team after winning the first Test

For the Indian cricket team and the Indian cricket fan that used to wake up in the wee hours of the morning just to watch their favourite team play, the last month has been nothing short of disappointment. Disappointment may well be a much modest word to say the least.

A silver lining which appeared at the end of day 2 of the second test disappeared due to the Herculean efforts of Brendon McCullum. The mistakes committed in this tour should not be forgotten. Less than a year remains for the World Cup down under, and hence the Indian batsmen, bowlers and the selectors have very little time to mend their mistakes.

In a tour that was filled with negatives, positives were hard to come by. Ishant Sharma’s form in the test series comes as a much needed boost. It seems if there is bounce and carry in the pitch, Ishant is sure to lead the bowling front. However, Ishant needs to be handled well in this scenario.

As Ishant has shown us, his length is suitable in Test matches but is a bit too short to be used in limited overs cricket. He should be used in a way Australia use Peter Siddle or South Africa use Vernon Philander. Limited overs cricket would not be the correct choice for him at a time when he is regaining his confidence.

Mohammad Shami is another positive from the tour. His depth bowling in the ODI’s was a much required solution to the problems the Indian team had been facing for a long time. He kept his test form going and even though he could not reverse the ball like he did in India, his normal swing was enough to trouble the Kiwis.

Shikhar Dhawan’s coming to form in the Test series was a much welcomed sight for captain MS Dhoni. He did not score much in the South Africa tour but the hundred and the 98 came at the correct time for the Delhi batsman.

One of the main reasons why the Indians played so poorly in the two overseas series was the lack of practice games. In either of the series, India was not scheduled to play any practice game before the ODIs. In the South Africa series, the only practice game before the start of the Test series was washed away without a ball being bowled and the series was so short that by the time the Indians acclimatized, the series was already over.

The Asia Cup in Bangladesh comes at the right time for the Indians to put aside all doubts. The Indians have been pretty much kings in the subcontinent and did not lose a single home series last year. It will be highly surprising if India does not reach the finals of the Asia Cup this time around.