Sarwan looks to reverse form-slump

Ramnaresh Sarwan is hoping to put aside his poor performance in the two Tests in New Zealand with a better showing in the five-ODI series, which begins in Queenstown on Wednesday.

Sarwan managed only 20 runs in three innings during the Tests, and 4 in the first Twenty20 international, but hit his way into some form with a fluent 53 off 36 balls during West Indies' loss in the second Twenty20 fixture in Hamilton.

"Obviously, I've been struggling in the Test series and didn't really get any runs," he told the Otago Daily Times. "But I scored a few in the Twenty20 and was really pleased and pretty upbeat. Hopefully, I'll be able to take that sort of form into the one-day format and am looking forward to the series."

One of the major threats for West Indies will be Daniel Vettori, who has managed to choke runs in middle overs, with an economy-rate of 3.75 in 15 ODIs in 2008. "We just have to play him the way we see it," Sarwan said. "Obviously, if he bowls a bad ball you try and put it away, and if it's a good ball you respect it like every other bowler.

"There is not a specific plan that we have come with. Obviously, we know what Daniel is capable of and he bowls very well in the middle overs."

Vettori, for his part, was happy to return to 50 overs after the two Twenty20 contests. "There is a little more scope to try things because batsmen aren't quite as aggressive in this format, as opposed to Twenty20 where they're looking to hit every ball," he said. "So you can build up some pressure with some consistency as opposed to chopping and changing every ball."

Vettori conceded 25 in the 'Super Over' against Chris Gayle after the first Twenty20 in Auckland was tied, but the New Zealand captain is wary of letting the focus be on his opposition counterpart. "He [Gayle] is another part of the equation but you still have to acknowledge that he is one of the best one-day players in the world and he has been so destructive for a long time now. We have to be careful not to put all our eggs in one basket [and concentrate on dismissing him] because we know they have some quality players in their line-up: Chanderpaul, Sarwan; and [Xavier] Marshall looks like a good player."

Brendon McCullum and Jesse Ryder powered New Zealand's win a blistering century stand in the Hamilton, and Sarwan said his team needed to break the partnership early on Wednesday. "It's very important that we get one early. We know how Brendon plays ... he is very attacking and gets his scoring ticking, and Jesse, too."