Change of pace for Black Caps in India

New Zealand are preparing for a change of pace as they eye the start of their three-Test cricket series in India.

The Black Caps are coming off a 1-0 defeat in a two-match series against South Africa and leg spinner Ish Sodhi says they know there's a significant adjustment to conditions in store.

"You come from the pace of South Africa to the spin bowling of India," he said in Delhi.

"It's how you want to challenge yourself as an international cricketer. To be honest it can't get better than this."

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Sodhi said the Black Caps could take encouragement from the way they adapted to the conditions in India earlier this year during their run to the ICC World T20 semi-finals.

The 23-year-old made his return to the Test arena after a break of more than 18 months in the Zimbabwe series that preceded the trip to South Africa.

In the second Test in Bulawayo in early August, he took career-best innings and match figures of 4-60 and 7-79 respectively, but then sat out against the Proteas.

Before him now is the tantalising prospect of possibly his first Test appearance in the country of his birth.

"Every time you get to play India it's a really good opportunity to do well and a lot of people are watching," he said.

"It's going to be a big tour ahead - three tests and five ODIs. I've never played a Test match here so I'm looking forward to the chance of hopefully doing that."

Sodhi is one of three specialist slow bowlers in the Test squad, along with allrounder Mitchell Santner and off-spinner Mark Craig.

The first Test begins in Kanpur on September 22.

Before then, the Black Caps have a three-day fixture against Mumbai in Delhi starting on Friday.

Meanwhile, the match fitness of speedster Adam Milne and allrounder Corey Anderson will be tested this week as New Zealand selectors finalise their squad for the one-day international series in India.

The returning pair will play in three 50-over trial games at Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln before the Black Caps squad for the five-match October series is named.

Milne is considered an outside chance of selection, with doubt over whether he will even bowl in the trial games following an elbow operation.

The 24-year-old hasn't played since injury sidelined him one game into an Indian Premier League campaign with Royal Challengers Bangalore five months ago having impressed in the World T20.

Anderson is returning from a back injury which ruled him out of contention for the Test squad. His last game was the World T20 semi-final loss to England.

India squad: Virat Kohli (captain), Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Murali Vijay, Rohit Sharma, R Ashwin, W Saha (wicketkeeper), R Jadeja, M Shami, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Shikhar Dhawan, Amit Mishra, Umesh Yadav.

New Zealand Test squad: Kane Williamson (captain), Tom Latham, Martin Guptill, Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Jimmy Neesham, BJ Watling, Luke Ronchi, Mitchell Santner, Mark Craig, Ish Sodhi, Doug Bracewell, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Trent Boult.

September 22-26: 1st Test at Kanpur

September 30 - October 4: 2nd Test at Kolkata

October 8-12: 3rd Test at Indore