A couple of days to travel afar. One day to train. And off they go again, for another T20I assignment. That's India locking horns with New Zealand on 22nd October, at Christchurch, in the first of five matches.
Shreyas Iyer's troops were given a run for their money in a high-octane run fest of a series versus West Indies which culminated with a washed out match to end the tour level at 2-2, on the 17th of this month.
New Zealand, meanwhile, regroup after having faced the same opponent in ODIs back in July.
The Kiwis will be a fresh challenge for India, who have been enjoying home comforts as well as batting-friendly conditions. As part of the early summer Down Under, there will be a strong breeze flowing across Christchurch, along with slightly cooler temperatures that could dictate nippy movement for the bowlers.
How India respond to the change in scenery will be the key talking point. They have won both of their recent T20I series against New Zealand, so Iyer will be hoping to stamp his authority as skipper having taken over from World Cup-winning captain Suryakumar Yadav.
The latest New Zealand vs India T20I odds are available on LiveScore Bet
Options galore for Mitchell Santner
"If there is something in the pitch for the seamers to start, it's obviously nice, but throughout the series we're going around the country, they're not all going to be green seamers and flying around, so both teams are going to have to adapt quickly to the conditions and then play accordingly," said New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner, stressing on the need to adapt to the Hagley Oval wicket.
Armed with versatile spin-bowling all-rounders, New Zealand can deepen their batting order without compromising their ability to play four frontline quicks.
Nathan Smith, Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson bring various skillsets to the table; India will brace themselves against their height, pace and new-ball ability. Had Rachin Ravindra been available (shoulder dislocation), the hosts would have fielded eight bowling options.
Also read: Sri Lanka vs England: ODI Tri-Series Preview, Predictions and Betting Tips
Will India revert to their gung-ho approach?
And those bowling options give Santner the choice he needs on the day, subject to how the pitch behaves.
It's, therefore, a challenging proposition for India who go hammer and tongs from ball one. In Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, and Ishan Kishan, they possess genuine destroyers - yet the question is whether they will rein in their natural intent if the conditions demand otherwise.
They too, are cursed with happy headaches all around, despite mainstays Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah not amongst the touring party.
The approach to lengthening their batting order with an extra all-rounder instead of a specialist bowler will be another enterprising test, especially if one of Tim Seifert or Finn Allen bat deep into the innings.
Match Winner: New Zealand
They have an upper hand over experience at this venue. They will not be jetlagged, and have enjoyed a lengthy preparation time.
To set the tone, New Zealand will fancy their chances against a potentially tired unit in the series opener, despite not being favourites before the first ball.
They have history of usurping this opponent before, and India's tour of England for T20I series lays further evidence that their transitioning T20 side aren't invincible, just yet.
Recommended Bet: Match Winner: New Zealand
Player's Total Runs - Sanju Samson: Under 22.5
Sanju Samson is no stranger to variance. He scooped the Player of the Tournament award in the T20 World Cup triumph with scores of 97*, 89 and 89.
But, in 15 innings after, he has crossed 50 only on four occasions; each of those half-centuries coming on home soil.
Returning to peak form should allay fears and propel India's chances of a win, but a distinct examination against NZ's new-ball operators could lead to an early downfall.
Recommended Bet: Player's Total Runs - Sanju Samson: Under 22.5
