New Zealand coach Gary Stead on Tuesday said that he was a bit surprised by India's abject surrender in the first Test but is expecting a strong comeback in Christchurch. India were all out for 165 and 191 in the two innings of the opening Test, leading to a 10-wicket drubbing in just over three days. "It was a bit of a surprise but it was also due to the pressure we put on those guys for long periods of time. You get Trent [Boult] and Tim [Southee] to operate in our conditions and both were outstanding. Trent's freshness after being out for eight weeks added spark," Stead told reporters.

The head coach also had a subtle warning for the Indian team, saying touring New Zealand could be as tough as playing in some of the other countries. "We want teams to believe that it is as tough in New Zealand as it is playing anywhere else in the world. That's a pride thing." Getting Ajinkya Rahane cheaply on the fourth morning was the clincher for Stead. After that, he knew that New Zealand would wrap it up quickly. "We picked up wickets at critical times in the match. We got Rahane out and it was the catalyst of the belief," he said.