When Indian batsmen venture south of the equator, they lose their bearings, and subsequently their form. In that regard, the abysmal showing in the first Test against New Zealand at the Basin Reserve in Wellington should have surprised no one. The much-hyped batsmen lasted a combined total of 96.5 overs, being bowled out for 161 and 121. Over the past few years, reams of paper have been wasted eulogising the qualities of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and, more recently, VVS Laxman. Yet, with the exception of Dravid in New Zealand, not one of these so-called batting greats averages over 50 in the Southern hemisphere nations (Australia, New Zealand and South Africa). Tendulkar has played 24 of his 104 Tests in those three countries and averages 44.59, with seven 100s and six 50s. Perfectly respectable figures, those, but well below his career average of 58.07.

Dravid comes close to matching him, though he has played only 11 of his 68 Tests in that part of the world. He averages 43.8, with three 100s and three 50s, and his dismal showing in Australia (1999-2000) is masked by some remarkable batting across the Tasman Sea. But again, the figures fall well short of a career average that now stands at 54.03.

Laxman averages 41.1 in seven Test matches in Australia and South Africa, very close to his career figure of 42.22, but take away that magnificent 167 at Sydney in a lost cause and you have a very mediocre record. And if his first Test in New Zealand was anything to go by, things aren't going to improve drastically.

Ganguly's performances have been the worst of the lot. In 11 Tests, he averages 32.65, as compared to a career average of 41.31. He has only one hundred, ironically at Hamilton, which hosts the second Test.

What goes wrong once the airplane crosses the Tropic of Cancer? How does the well-grooved strokeplay get thrown out of sync? The answer can be found in three words that the quicker bowlers adore – pace, bounce and movement. While pitches in New Zealand and South Africa are generally not as pacy as their Australian counterparts, they still offer plenty of encouragement to the seam and swing bowlers. In New Zealand, the climactic conditions also play a massive role. On a greenish pitch, with plenty of cloud cover, even an ordinary bowler – someone like Sanjay Bangar, for example – can move the ball around like a Terry Alderman. And if your footwork borders on the statuesque, as was the case with Laxman and Ganguly in the opening Test, you might as well be the plastic duck in a shooting gallery.

The different nature of the pitches, especially when compared to India, where the ball rarely gets above waist high, and the conditions also requires a drastic change in strokeplay. You won't see too many drives down the wicket when the ball rears up off a good length, even more so when the bowlers are as tall as Jacob Oram. With the traditional avenues of scoring blocked off, or congested at best, the batsmen have to resort to methods that they may not be as fluent with. Dravid showed the way quite beautifully in the first innings at Wellington, waiting for the short and wide deliveries to crash square of the wicket.

The slash over slips and the pull, strokes generally not associated with Indian batsmen, can be your best friends in such conditions. If any proof is needed, a cursory look at some of the memorable innings played by the Southern Hemisphere's best batsmen – Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist – should suffice. The secret of success here lies in adopting Muhammad Ali-like tactics – bob, weave and sway of our harm's way some of the time, while taking advantage of every slip the opponent makes. Batsmanship in the Antipodes is a simple yet complex art that consists largely of knowing which balls to leave and which ones to score off.

The defensive mindset will get you nowhere fast. When Australia played at Westpac Park in March 2000, they slumped to 29 for 5, chasing a New Zealand first innings score of 232. But instead of retreating to tend to their wounds, they counter-attacked brilliantly through Damien Martyn (89* from 136 balls) and Gilchrist (75 from 80) to establish a 20-run lead. Then, set 210 to win, Justin Langer rattled off a run-a-ball 122 en route to a facile six-wicket victory.

The pitch at Hamilton has a reputation for being the fastest in New Zealand and in Shane Bond, the hosts have easily the quickest bowler on either side. India need to fight that fire with an inferno of their own, back their instincts and go for broke. It would help of course if the likes of Virender Sehwag, Ganguly and Laxman went out to dance tonight and discovered a way to get those feet moving. You don't need to wear a pink tutu to the crease but some twinkle-toed movements would go a long way towards avoiding the shooting gallery treatment for the second time in a week. Something tells you though that this will be another Bond vehicle, with India's batsmen dying another day.

Dileep Premachandran is assistant editor of Wisden.com in India.

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