Regaining No 1 ranking is Kohli, Kumble's objective

India’s long home season begins with a three-Test series against New Zealand next week, followed by England and Australia. For fans of the five-day format, the period leading up to the Champions Trophy in mid-2017 promises to be riveting as these four teams jostle with each other for claiming the Test number 1 ranking from Pakistan.

Very little separates the top five teams in terms of points. But since overseas performances earn more value than winning at home, the onus will be on Virat Kohli and Co. to ensure that very little is squandered in the 13 Tests scheduled in India in the next 8-9 months.

In the 2012-13 season it will be remembered, while MS Dhoni’s team beat New Zealand (2-0) and Australia (4-0) comprehensively, the unexpected 1-2 defeat against England stymied India’s rise in the Test rankings. Since then, the No.1 spot has remained elusive, barring a blip here or there, as happened during the recent tour of West Indies.

But it’s not that India’s can’t be put under duress despite the success of the main bowlers and batsmen in the Caribbean, and the emergence of R Ashwin as a top-notch all-rounder. The West Indies look bereft of talent and sense of purpose in the five-day format so it would be imprudent to read too much in those results.
Regaining the top ranking has been the stated objective of captain Kohli and coach Anil Kumble. In fact Kumble’s presentation before Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar and V V S Laxman – which won him the vote against Ravi Shastri – was built around this proposition.

Kumble’s emphasis was on winning overseas. But that doesn’t mean home performances could be taken for granted. England’s triumph in 2012-3 had shown India were not invincible at home. That spinners Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar were the chief architects of England’s win was a myth buster.

The New Zealand side touring India has been picked with great thought. Even without Tim Southee – unfortunately inured -- the pace department looks daunting. More importantly, there are three spinners in the squad – Ish Sodhi, Mitchel Santner and Mark Craig – to exploit the slow turners they will inevitably encounter in the Test matches.

These three were hugely successful in the T20 World Cup played in India earlier in the year. How well they adjust from the shortest to the longest format will test their skill and temperament, but the New Zealand selectors, taking a cue from England circa 2012, have chosen shrewdly in challenging India at their own strength.

Of course, captain Kane Williamson will miss Southee. Apart from his natural late outswing, dangerous even in the sub-continent, the tall fast bowler is a handy, hard-hitting late order batsman. But he has with him a clutch of players who have been part of IPL teams in the past few seasons and familiar with Indian conditions.

New Zealand’s batting looks less resourceful than the bowling though Williamson is a class act and his rivalry with Kohli will be one of the highlights of the series.

Ross Taylor has great depth of experience. If these two get consistent support, India could be stretched to the limit.

On paper, the Indians are much the stronger team and not merely because of the higher position in the ICC rankings. Man-to-man, Kohli’s team is far richer on experience in the longest format of the game, and more so now that Southee has been sidelined.

But India must be chary of being complacent. The Kiwis are a very competent side and won’t be easy pickings even if one of their senior pros has been ruled out.

What they lack in Test experience, they make up in ambition and a new-found fearlessness. Under Brendon McCullum they were revitalised, playing with an aggression – sometimes exhilarating abandon – that left opponents stunned. McCullum’s retirement early this year cost the Kiwis a match-winner, but not their mojo.

India will have to quell this mojo early and effectively to get a flying start to this long season which entails that marquee players will have to live up to their star billing -- or end up considerably diminished.