As New Zealand prepare to take on India in a two-match Test series, the chance to cement their legacy as one of the great teams of the modern era beckons.

Rightly or wrongly, we judge teams in cricket not just on if they win. But who they beat, when they beat them, how they beat them. And most importantly, where they beat them.

New Zealand know this all too well. Rightly or wrongly, despite reaching three of the last four white-ball World Cup finals, winning the inaugural World Test Championship, being ranked No.1 in the World in ODI and Test-match cricket and also coming out on top in 10 of their last 12 bilateral Test series, asterisks still linger.

Too many of their series victories came at home, World Cups are too random and the World Test Championship was a one-off.

It isn’t fair, but it’s the way the world is. However, this undoubtedly excellent New Zealand side have a chance to cement their legacy over the next two weeks as they play against India in a two-match Test series.

India away is the final boss of international cricket. They have lost just three Test series at home in the 21st century: against South Africa in 2000, Australia in 2004 and England in 2012. Beating India in India counts.

Some may argue that even here there would be caveats to any New Zealand success. Virat Kohli will be absent from the first Test match before returning for the second. KL Rahul is out injured and all of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami and Rishabh Pant are being rested. However, you need only look back less than a year to understand the true strength of this India set-up after what was effectively their ‘C’ team beat Australia on their own patch. That some big names are absent should by no means dilute the achievement of this New Zealand side if they are to win. The fact that some India players may be missing will no doubt be forgotten in years to come.

Similarly, it is often held against New Zealand that they only play short, two- and three-match series. And this is true. New Zealand have played just one four-match Test series in the last 36 years, with their last coming against England in 1999. But, this should be held as a criticism of cricket as a whole as opposed to New Zealand. Test series are expensive and it is for purely financial reasons that New Zealand are neither able to host or demand longer series against the ‘big three’. Two-match series are the trademark of the underdog and would merely amplify any success that New Zealand have.

Furthermore, in Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Kyle Jamieson and Neil Wagner, New Zealand have arguably the strongest seam attack in world cricket. And one that is far more eccentric and versatile than you’d care to believe. In Wagner they have a bowler who operates in a manner that the world has literally never seen before and in Jamieson they boast a 6’8” giant who is one of the most exciting talents to have arrived into international cricket in years. Boult has opted out of the India Tests due to bubble fatigue, but there’s still the experience of Southee to count on.

Combine this with a very strong batting line-up that includes Kane Williamson, Tom Latham and Ross Taylor and New Zealand are well placed to mount a challenge against the final boss of world cricket.

Their attempt will not be without its challenges. Spinners Ajaz Patel, Will Somerville and Mitchell Santner are competent if not exceptional and the squad as a whole is at the back-end of what has been an exhausting year of cricket both physically and mentally. India is the fourth country they have toured this year (England, Bangladesh, UAE, India) having started this cricketing cycle at the end of 2020 with two Test series against the West Indies and Pakistan. It is also worth stressing the mental toll that these players will have gone through in coming so close to yet another world title just two years after their agonising defeat to England at Lord’s.

Nevertheless, tours to India are not a common occurrence and New Zealand find themselves just two games away from potentially changing those asterisks into stars.