Gary Stead knows a thing or two about beating India. The 54-year-old Kiwi was the coach when New Zealand overcame the subcontinental giant to win the ICC World Test Championship in 2021.

He was also at the helm when Tom Latham & Co. handed India a 3-0 drubbing at home in 2024, the latter’s first Test series defeat in its own backyard since 2012.

As India begins an all-format tour of New Zealand from Thursday, Stead, who is now the head coach of Andhra, feels the tables could turn. The two Tests India and New Zealand will play would be crucial for both teams’ Test Championship hopes.

“[Earlier] when you played India, you’d have thought, ‘Oh, we’ll do a green track because they don’t have good seamers’. Now they have real quality seamers, the same way we had quality spinners when we came here [to India],” said Stead during Andhra’s Ranji Trophy opener against Karnataka last week.

“The whole idea of home advantage has disappeared a little bit around the world. I think everyone has shown competence to beat everyone else.”

Stead opined that the better batting unit will prevail.

“The battle will come down to the two batting teams. Generally, the wickets have bounce and carry. The two Tests are at Hagley Oval [in Christchurch] and Wellington, traditionally two of the bouncier wickets in New Zealand. If India can nullify New Zealand’s bowlers, I think it’ll be a cracking series.”

“India, obviously, is an amazing Test side, and we go to Australia after that. So there are six huge tests coming up. But if you want to be judged against the best, you’ve got to compete against the best.”

The last time India went on an all-format tour was to South Africa (Dec 2023 – Jan 2024). Stead hoped that such sojourns would happen more often.

“Personally, I think the ICC should consider playing more multi-format type situations, rather than [teams] coming and going very quickly, and people forgetting about the series. Something like how the women do with their Ashes... and that could be something that takes off a little bit more”.