NZ team for Indian series

[Tim]

I'd like to see a few changes for the NZ test team against India, presumably all players will be fit & im guessing they could use up to 14 players in the 2 tests.

Openers:
Mark Richardson - pretty easy selection, he's NZ's best opener at the moment.
Gary Stead - has the Australian attitude & is experienced & gritty, has quite a good test average & was strangely dropped by the selectors a couple of years back for god knows why.
Lou Vincent - im guessing that Vincent will retain his place in the side as an opener, although im not too keen on the idea. Regardless of whether he opens or not he'll be selected.

Middle Order:
Stephen Fleming - Unless Fleming suddenly has a mental break-down or angers the hierachy, it's highly unlikely he'll be missing.
Nathan Astle - Astle is a different player when he's in NZ conditions and he'd be the 1st one picked.
Craig McMillan - Like Astle, McMillan is extremely good at home, so his selection is fairly easy.
Mathew Sinclair - Despite being in & out of the side, Sinclair has really only struggled against Australia so its likely that NZ will want to put him in against India.

All-Rounders:
Chris Cairns - Presumably, Cairns is going to be fit so like Astle he'll be one of the 1st names down.
Andre Adams - Its fair to say that Andre Adams is light-years ahead of Scott Styris in the skills department & personally Adams would be better suited to the type of attacking play the Indians like to bring.

Keeper:
Robbie Hart - Hart did an excellent job in the West Indies of gutsing it out with the bat & its unlikely he'll be dropped.

Bowlers:
Shane Bond - Shane Bond is just an automatic choice at the moment, simply he's one of NZ's best pace bowlers we've had in a long time.
Daniel Vettori - Vettori looked to be in good form in Sri Lanka & nobody will be questioning his selection anyway.
Shayne O'Connor - O'Connor is apparently almost fully fit after a lengthy lay-off & considering that the tests will be played at Wellington & Hamilton he'd definately be in contention for a test spot.
Joseph Yovich - Yovich is easily the 2nd quickest bowler in NZ behind Bond despite what Hadlee said about Butler. Yovich can also hold a bat which will help push his case to the selectors.

Players that I think should be there or will be there or there abouts:

Brendon McCullum - There's no denying that McCullum is as good attacking batsmen as they come, but I feel the selectors will want him to play some more first class cricket.
Ian Butler - Butler was starting to improve in the West Indies, and he'll be in consideration for the Indian series however the selectors will worry (& so will I) that if he gets it wrong, India will deal to him.
Matt Horne - A very good first class players, but has never really been consistent enough for NZ. I think there are better options than Horne at the moment.
Peter Fulton - Fulton is one player i'd really like to see play tests, but at this stage im probably just dreaming...he needs a good FC season to back my comments up.
Others would be Michael Papps, Scott Styris, Daryl Tuffey, Brooke Walker, & the list goes on.

[Kiwi]

Heres my comments on the players u mentioned.
Richardson. Yes..New Zealands number 1 test opener at the moment.
Stead. I would love to see him here But I don't know if he is still playing. I heard a rumor about him being a canterbury coach for lower grades this year. I also haven't seen his name on any club scorecards so far this year. I think Horne would replace him
Vincent. Yes.. I would like to see him in the Middle order though.
Fleming. He will be there as captain.
Astle . Yes. Awesome player when in form
McMillan. Same as above
Cairns I don't know if he has recovered from injury. He is plays at my club and was meant to be there for the first game but he wasn't. 3 games in and he still hasn't played yet.
Adams. I am unsure about your comments here. I think Styris matured alot in the West Indies. He played well there and may be chosen ahead of Adams
Hart As long as Vincent doesn't keep.
Bond Yes. had some good club figures lately as well
Vettori There is daylight between him and the next spinner
O'Connor I don't know about this. He has been out of first class cricket for a long time. Maybe Lance Hamilton in here
Yovich Again I am not sure.. I think tuffey or Butler will be here.

[Tim]

Agreed. Styris did mature, but against the Indians you need to be competitive against their batsmen & I think Adams offers more. He comes onto the bat quicker & can hit the runs quickly & turn a match.