Confident India A take on New Zealand A

CHENNAI: It���s tightrope walk for India A and New Zealand A as they get ready to take on each other in the tri-series match here on Sunday.
One win each for both the teams from the first two matches has left the points table hanging and every player knows that one false step from here may well mean the end of their sojourn in the tournament.
The India A team, led by local boy S Badrinath, looks a more confident lot going into the second phase of the tournament.While the conditions were doing a bit for the medium-pacers in Hyderabad, the MA Chidambaram Stadium track here looks a belter.
If there���s any assistance available, it���s for the spinners and Badri knows that pretty well. "These are ideal subcontinent conditions and we should do well," the skipper, who has now been drafted into the Rest of India squad in place of an injured Sachin Tendulkar, said. Once Badri leaves for Vadodara on Monday, the India A team will be led by Suresh Raina.
But for Sunday���s game, Badri is still in charge and he has his reasons to be confident. Firstly, the New Zealanders are not too good players of spin and leggie Piyush Chawla may well prove to be a handful against them. Chawla has a decent spinning partner in offie Yusuf Pathan, and the duo should be able to put the pressure on the Kiwis.
Not that Peter Fulton and his men don���t know it. The New Zealanders spent quite some time in the nets on Saturday, trying to master the sweep shot. It���s evident that some of them who are struggling to pick Chawla���s googly, will try to sweep him out of the attack.
The UP leggie, though, won���t mind that at all. He knows this is his chance to impress and a good haul may well bring him into reckoning for a berth in the senior Test squad.
New Zealand skipper Fulton, though, felt that they are in India "to become complete cricketers. At times, it���s unknown territory for us, but we don���t want to pressurise ourselves thinking that we wil struggle against spin. We���ve come here to learn a few things and when we go back, we���ll be rich in experience," Fulton added.