The Indian squad led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni departed for New Zealand from here on Sunday for a five-match ODI series followed by a best-of-two Test rubber against the hosts.
The limited overs contest will start on January 19 at Napier and conclude on January 31 at Wellington with the other three games to be held at Hamilton (January 22), Auckland (January 25) and Hamilton (January 28).
The Test series would be held after that with the opener scheduled from February 6-10 (Auckland) followed by the second and final match at Wellington (February 14-18).
The tourists would play a two-day warm-up game on February 2 and 3 at Whangarei ahead of the Tests.
Test specialists Cheteshwar Pujara, Zaheer Khan, Murali Vijay and Umesh Yadav did not leave with the others today and are slated to leave a week later. This is India’s ninth visit to New Zealand for a bilateral contest and their first since 2008-09 that they won 1-0.
Age: 31
2013 Match Record: 60-24
2013 Singles Titles: 2
Career Singles Titles: 20
Major Titles: 0 — Best: Finalist at ‘13 French Open.
last 5 Australian Opens: ‘13-SF, ‘12-QF, ‘11-SF, ‘10-2nd, ‘09-3rd.
ANDY MURRAY (Britain)
Seeded: 4
Age: 26
2013 Match Record: 43-8
2013 Singles Titles: 4
Career Singles Titles: 28
Major Titles: 2 — Wimbledon (‘13), U.S. Open (‘12)
last 5 Australian Opens: ‘13-F, ‘12-SF, ‘11-F, ‘10-F, ‘09-4th.
JUAN MARTIN DEl POTRO (Argentina)
Seeded: 5
Age: 25
2013 Match Record: 51-16
2013 Singles Titles: 4
Career Singles Titles: 17
Major Titles: 1 — U.S. Open (‘09)
last 5 Australian Opens: ‘13-3rd, ‘12-QF, ‘11-2nd, ‘10-4th, ‘09-QF
ROGER FEDERER (Switzerland)
Seeded: 6
Age: 32
2013 Match Record: 45-17
2013 Singles Titles: 1
Career Singles Titles: 77
Major Titles: 17 — Australian Open (‘04, ‘06, ‘07, ‘10), French Open (‘09), Wimbledon (‘03, ‘04, ‘05, ‘06, ‘07, ‘09, ‘12), U.S. Open (‘04, ‘05, ‘06, ‘07, ‘08).
last 5 Australian Opens: ‘13-SF, ‘12-SF, ‘11-SF, ‘10-W, ‘09-F.
SERENA WIllIAMS (US)
Seeded: 1
Age: 32
2013 Match Record: 78-4
2013 Singles Titles: 11
Career Singles Titles: 58
Major Titles: 17 — Australian Open (‘03, ‘05, ‘07, ‘09, ‘10), French Open (‘02, ‘13) , Wimbledon (‘02, ‘03, ‘09, ‘10, ‘12), U.S. Open (‘99, ‘02, ‘08, ‘12, ‘13).
last 5 Australian Opens: ‘13-QF, ‘12-4th, ‘11-DNP, ‘10-W, ‘09-W.
VICTORIA AZARENKA (Belarus)
Seeded: 2
Age: 24
2013 Match Record: 43-9
2013 Singles Titles: 3
Career Singles Titles: 17
Major Titles: 2 — Australian Open (‘13, ‘12)
last 5 Australian Opens: ‘13-W, ‘12-W, ‘11-4th, ‘10-QF, ‘09-4th.
lI NA (China)
Seeded: 3
Age: 31
2013 Match Record: 44-14
2013 Singles Titles: 1
Career Singles Titles: 8
Major Titles: 1 — French Open (‘11)
last 5 Australian Opens: ‘13-F, ‘12-4th, ‘11-F, ‘10-SF, ‘09-DNP.
MARIA SHARAPOVA (Russia)
Seeded: 4
Age: 26
2013 Match Record: 37-7
2013 Singles Titles: 2
Career Singles Titles: 29
Major Titles: 4 — Wimbledon (‘04), U.S. Open (‘06), Australian Open (‘08), French Open (‘12)
last 5 Australian Opens: ‘13-SF, ‘12-F, 11-4th, ‘10-1st, ‘09-DNP.
PETRA KVITOVA (Czech Republic)
Seeded: 6
Age: 23
2013 Match Record: 51-23.
2013 Singles Titles: 2
Career Singles Titles: 11
Major Titles: 1 — Wimbledon (‘11)
last 5 Australian Opens: ‘13-2nd, ‘12-SF, ‘11-QF, ‘10-2nd, ‘09-1st.
CAROlINE WOZNIACKI (Denmark)
Seeded: 10
Age: 23
2013 Match Record: 39-22
2013 Singles Titles: 1.
Career Singles Titles: 21.
Major Titles: 0 — Best: F, at U.S. Open in ‘09
last 5 Australian Opens: ‘12-QF, ‘11-SF, ‘10-4th, ‘09-3rd, ‘08-4th.
AP