CHRISTCHURCH, Feb. 24: On a new high after demolishing opponents worldwide, India walk into the tour-opening Twenty20 match flaunting the 'world champion' tag against a developing New Zealand side at the AMI Stadium here on Wednesday.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni's heavyweight team have everything in their favour as they step into the ring for a bout with the 'babies' in international cricket. The only thing the inexperienced New Zealanders have in their favour are the home conditions.

However, recent action points to a possible fight. Though the teams have played each other only once in this version, two years ago, they are coming in from thrilling, albeit contrasting, matches dished out away earlier this month. While India managed an astonishing come-from-behind victory over Sri Lanka, New Zealand did just the opposite, squandering a superb advantage to frustratingly lose to Australia by just one run.

While India were revived by the Pathan brothers, Yusuf and Irfan, after slipping to 115/7 in the 16th over in pursuit of Lanka's 171 in the Colombo conundrum, the New Zealanders, set to chase a modest 150, could not capitalise on a tremendous start by opener Brendon McCullum, who smashed 61 to set his side up in Sydney.

Neil Broom and Grant Elliott did their best by contributing 36 and 23 but to no avail. That speaks about the close contests T20 games can be.

The New Zealanders may be playing at home but shaking the all-conquering reputation of their opponents off will not be easy.

Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir have been giving the Kiwis sleepless nights with their ability to trigger explosive starts. New Zealand know that only too well and are spending extra hours in the meeting room trying to formulate a strategy to scuttle the dangerous duo.

Understandably so, as Gambhir is the higher run-getter for India in T20s while Sehwag figures in the top four. Yuvraj Singh and Mahendra Singh Dhoni take up the second and third spots giving captain Daniel Vettori enough reason to be intimidated.

Then, there is the reliable Rohit Sharma, who averages 50, the best by an Indian. Add to that the skills of Suresh Raina and the power of the Pathans and you know that the Indian batting line up is capable of blasting a mountain of runs.

Irfan and Harbhajan Singh lead the list of bowlers with the maximum number of wickets for India with 13 and nine, the former with a miserly average of 14.69.

However, the two main seamers, Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma, have not tasted much success in the shortest version yet, reason enough to come down hard on the Kiwis in conditions favourable for swing bowling. India is surely in an envious position.

New Zealand on the other hand are armed with perceived home advantage and youthful enthusiasm. Having run Australia close will surely be a boost but it remains to be seen how they rally around each other.

Much will depend on the senior trio of Vettori, Brendon McCullum and Jacob Oram, engineers of New Zealand's win in the only T20 match played against India, at the 2007 T20 World Cup. McCullum and Oram had fired 45 and 35 respectively while left-arm spinner Vettori took 4/20 to defend New Zealand's 190 even as Sehwag and Gambhir had put on 76 runs for the opening wicket in just 5.5 overs.

McCullum is also the highest run-getter for New Zealand in this form of the game while Oram averages the highest, 37.71, followed by newcomer Neil Broom with 36. Grant Elliott and Ross Taylor would be expected to play supportive roles in the batting department.

The home side are likely to go in with two spinners in Vettori and Nathan McCullum while little known Tim Southee and Iain O'Brien will have to share the new ball responsibilities.