Dravid and Laxman can't be replaced, good that we do not have to face them: Ross Taylor

New Zealand skipper Ross Taylor is hoping that the "familiarity" with the conditions will help them in the upcoming two-match Test series against India, starting on Thursday.

According to a report in The Times of India, A lot of Kiwi players are familiar with the conditions here due to playing in Indian Premier League, and Taylor said they needed to work out a specific strategy in the run-up to the first Test.

"We know we have lot of work to do in next two-three days to make sure we are prepared for the challenge ahead," Taylor was quoted in the report.

"We would certainly like to put some good plans in place and be positive about the way we look to play. India is a familiar place for (a) lot of us. We have played well here and are looking forward to the contest," he added.

Meanwhile The Hindu writes that Ross Taylor is hoping to put India under pressure in the two-match Test series.

“It is a huge challenge to face the Indians on their home grounds. They are a very tough side in home conditions. We need to have plans in place to counter all possible challenges,” The Hindu quoted Taylor.

New Zealand who arrived just few days ahead of the series are not playing any warm up games ahead of the series, but then the Kiwi skipper was not too concerned about his team not playing warm-up matches before the Test series and reminded on their last trip to India it was the same case yet they drew two Test matches.

“We have to be careful especially with the Indian bowling attack with fast bowlers Zaheer Khan and Umesh Yadav being not only good with the new ball but with the ability to reverse swing. This canbe a major factor in these conditions,” Taylor said.

Taylor also conceded that the absence Daniel Vettori is a big loss for the team but then at the same time should give the others a chance to prove their mettle. “We are ready to face the challenges and I repeat we should execute all the plans in the desired manner.” 

The New Zealand captain was also conscious of the fact that the Indian batting line-up will miss two of its best players – Rahul Dravid and V V S Laxman (who have now retired). “Well, they obviously can’t be replaced but the Indian team line-up. Good that we need not face them in this series. But this Indian batting line-up should be good enough to pose a major threat to any bowling attack given the exciting talent it has,” he added.