The Black Caps know the challenges that lay ahead of them in their first defence of the World Test Championship, with the squad coming together to face India with a mixed build-up.
Members of the Test squad have been preparing for the series in India while others have been part of both the T20 World Cup and recent T20 series against India.
The split has meant the Test squad have had to prepare for the spin-friendly pitches in India in a different fashion than usual.
"A bit different not having net bowlers (local Indian players) come in. So, we've been facing our bowlers for preparation,” Ross Taylor said.
"Everyone's been lining up to face the spinners, they've bowled a lot of overs. Where normally you've got 10 to 15 net bowlers of spin to practice. So, slightly different but it is what it is and it's an interesting challenge."
Spinner Ajaz Patel didn’t mind though, saying the preparation has been thorough.
"Obviously it's been a busy time with the T20s and stuff like that. We've been moving around quite a lot but at the same time we've had lots of time to train and acclimatise and get used to the conditions. So, hopefully we've got enough work done," Patel said.
"All the preparation is done and now is the exciting part, playing cricket."
The Test series comes at the end of a gruelling campaign for New Zealand who lost the World Cup final to Australia before getting whitewashed 3-0 in the T20 series against India – all while away from loved ones for months.
Adding to that, the Black Caps now must face an Indian side fuelled by revenge for losing last year’s World Test Championship against them in Southampton on soil they’ve never won a series on, let alone a Test since the 1988/89 tour.
"You realise the enormity of the challenge ahead," head coach Gary Stead said.
"India are a fantastic side. They've got world class spinners in their environment here as well.
"(They are) one of the great challenges on the Test calendar. It's something we haven't done for a while, we haven't been here since 2016 but we're certainly looking forward to what's ahead."
The Black Caps will be without Trent Boult and Colin de Grandhomme for the series, instead relying on spinners Patel, Will Sommerville and Mitchell Santner to help the bowling attack in Kanpur and Mumbai.
Stead said it was part of managing his players as they near the end of a long stint on the road.
"In two weeks we'll be on a plane home, things will happen really quickly for us," he said.
"So it's really important that we get focused on the job and the challenge that's in front of us."
The First Test begins on Thursday November 25 at 5pm NZT.
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