Daniel Vettori is averse to humidity here. So the first thing the 6' 3 left-arm spinner did after landing in Mumbai was to have a crew cut.

"Yeah, now it feels much better. I can concenrate on my cricket," said the 20-year-old at the Shirke grounds here today, where his team was having a workout after the opening day’s play of their tour-opener against India-A was washed out.

Vettori is aware of the fact that his task for the tour is cut out. “Being the frontline spinner of my team I know I will have to do the bulk of bowing. In that sense you can say that I also have a greater chance of getting most of the wickets," he said.

This is not his first trip to India. He was a member of the New Zealand side which came to participate in the Independence Cup in 1996. "That was a one-day tournament and I was the perpetual 12th man. But this time round it’s the Tests and I am really looking forward to bowling on wickets here," he said.

"Of whatever little I have seen this time the wickets suit my style of bowling. Only thing is that one has to bowl somewhat quicker here. If you bowl slow on these tracks you are asking for trouble as the ball tends to sit up and asks to be hit. And with quality players of spin bowling in the Indian side one would surely not want to do that," felt Vettori.

Coming from a place which has not produced many spin bowlers in the past one is curious to know how Vettori took to spin bowling. “ I used to bowl medium-pace initially but felt I did not have too much of a chance that way. Being a natural left-hander and there not being too many spinners around I felt I had a greater chance of breaking into the national team if I bowled spin. So that is how it all started. And it came out pretty well,” explained Vettori.

Vettori’s rise in the New Zealand side has been a wee bit unusual. He was not inspired by anyone. He does not have any coach. There is no one to tell him about the loop, flight, uicker one, wrong’un. He simply works on it himself.

"Yeah it is mostly self work. I watch videos of my bowling and keep working on it. Sometimes I do talk to John Bracewell (former Test off-spinner) about it and this time before coming on this tour I talked to Headley Howarth (the left-arm spiner who toured India in 1969). But most of it is my own work.”

But he will surely like to seek the advice of some expert who can teach him many more tricks. "Of course. I admire Shane Warne and Saqlain Mushtaq. But I haven't had a chance to interact with them. I would also like to meet Bishan Bedi. And now that I am here I hope I can get an opportunity to seek his advice,” says Vettori.

The loose-limbed, tall and gangling spinner can surely make an impact on Indian pitches if he uses his height to get lift out of the tracks here. “ If nothing else I am certain this is going to be a rewarding experience. Bowling on pitches here to batsmen who have a reputation of being the best players of spin bowling in the world. What more could I have asked for,” concluded Vettori.