India look to take Wellington success to Auckland The World Cup may be just a month away, but the BCCI-ICC player-contract issue does not appear closer to resolution. But that should be the last thing on the players' minds as they gear up for the final two matches of this New Zealand tour. After notching up their first win of the trip at Wellington, India will be keen to taste more success in the ODIs to come. Tomorrow's match at Auckland may already be in doubt, though, with heavy rain lashing the city over the last two days. If the ODI is rained out, a day match will be played on Sunday, but either way, pitch and weather conditions are likely to suit the seamers to the hilt. New Zealand will miss Nathan Astle, out with a sore knee, and Matthew Sinclair will open with Stephen Fleming. India are likely to omit a spinner yet again, as they did in Wellington, and the batting - unless there are any sudden surprises - should remain unchanged as well.

Ganguly confident that Indian spirits will be high for World Cup Ensuring that India emerge from their tour of New Zealand with spirits high before the World Cup was the hope of skipper Sourav Ganguly before the sixth ODI in Auckland. While India had won their first game by two wickets in Wellington on Wednesday, they could still have done better, Ganguly said. Whatever happens in the remainder of the series, Ganguly was still certain his side would go to South Africa in a confident from of mind. And the reason for that was simple. "Because we have played well in one-day cricket over a longer period of time, and one poor series doesn't say it is the end of the road, or the end of everything. It would be good for us to win the next two as well," he said. About his own form, Ganguly said, "It is always hard when you haven't scored runs, but that is what the job is. You are captain of a side, and you know most batsmen have struggled. You have just got to keep them going because it is a matter of one innings. We have fantastic records in one-day cricket after playing all around the world and we've just got to keep them going." Ganguly also reflected on the development of the New Zealand side that India have been playing. "Shane Bond is the key to your success wherever you go because he has the quality to bowl on all sorts of wickets," he said. "It is good to see Cairnsey (Chris Cairns) back because I admire him as a cricketer and as a person as well." "[Jacob] Oram has come off well this series, but he's still got a long way to prove himself, the conditions suited him. He's got to travel around the world and play consistently and then you can pass judgment."

Cairns preserving himself for World Cup Chris Cairns will not bowl at all in the remaining two New Zealand-India ODIs. Everything is now aimed at having Cairns in perfect condition to perform the role that captain Stephen Fleming will want from him when the New Zealanders play their opening World Cup game. Cairns said he couldn't commit to bowling his full complement of 10 overs from the outset, but he wanted to be able to give Fleming the option of using him as a bowler. "It was great to be there and seeing the advancement of the guys since I last played," he said of his return at Wellington. On the development bowlers like Shane Bond, Daryl Tuffey and Jacob Oram, Cairns said, "They've put the ball in the right areas. They have come through in the last few years and we are reaping the rewards of bringing them in a little early a couple of years ago."

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