Tour down under, be it to the New Zealand or Australia is a real test of skill and survival instincts, against hostile weather conditions, battery of pace unleashed and to top it all New Zealand is being led by a spinner in the form of Daniel Vettori who has emerged as the meanest customer in the game, as he demonstrated in the IPL Cricket League.

Authorities of the New Zealand Cricket have announced their cricket schedule for 2009, and this coming summer (the New Zealand summer which is equivalent to Indian winter for most of the Indian and West Indian players, accustomed as most of them are to temperate climates) they are going to host West Indies and India. While West Indies would be around the time when New Zealand would be warming up to Christmas festivities, India would be following them up in March 2009.  West Indies would be playing two test matches, two 20-20 Internationals and five one-dayers.  

West Indies open their itinerary with a three-day warm up match against Auckland on December 5, and would be a party to a record of the country playing along with the hosts New Zealand at Dunedin's University Oval, which is the newest test venue for New Zealand.

It is after a long time that a new test venue has come into being in New Zealand and could the recent success that New Zealand has had under the captainship of Stephen Fleming before he hung his boots and the current captain Daniel Vettori. Or is it owing to the high visibility that the New Zealand players got in the IPL league, and the fall out is setting up of new centre for more revenue guided by telecast and other associated rights.

West Indies would be playing their last match of the series on January 13, at Napier, and then they would proceed homewards to prepare themselves for a home series against England, and they get a breather of more than three weeks to do so. India have a tough schedule as compared to West Indies as their itinerary is action packed 19 cricketing days, compressed in the overall scheduled visit of 33 days.

The action for India would start with a 20-20 international and culminate with the final test match to be played at Basin Reserve in Wellington from April 3-7. The itinerary comprises of one 20-20 international, five-day night one-day internationals, a three day warm up game followed by two-test series.

It is after six years that India is touring New Zealand and the drubbing that they received at the hands of New Zealand should be the reference point to come out in flying colours. When India would be touring New Zealand it would be a team which would be a mixture of fresh blood and fresh pair of legs, ready to stand up to the onslaught of pace led by Shane Bond, or stand up to the wizardry of fingers executed by Daniel Vettori.

It would also be good preparation for the second season of the IPL, as immediately after India returns back from New Zealand the second season of IPL would commence.

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3.25 Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."

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