It's been a disappointing first week in New Zealand for the Indian team what with both both T-20 matches being lost. But if skipper Dhoni and his team are honest with themselves, this result was in many ways self-inflicted.

This is not to deny New Zealand credit for their unexpected success. By God they played superbly: with hope, heart and head, the last mentioned of these three attributes perhaps being the differentiator between the two teams: India, world champions at this form of the game, surprisingly appeared to miss the plot.

Obviously the team lacked enough practice before going in for these two games, (something that the BCCI must be seriously concerned about in future tours, for commerce is important in modern sport, but not as much when it impacts national interest) but this had minor impact on the outcome of the two matches: India lost them in the mind and New Zealand won them in the field.

New Zealand's captain Daniel Vettori had shrewdly put the pressure on India by rating them as the best side in the world, which was a statement of fact, but to which Dhoni and his players assigned dubious truth value. As it happened, the exaggerated swagger, the overly aggressive approach proved to be their undoing more than anything else.

Winning through intimidation is a great stratagem when it works; when it doesn't, it can look a little silly. India's approach, especially in the first game, was a tad cocky and in the second game, inevitably perhaps, a tad confused. In both matches, it must be said, that it was India's strong suit, batting, that came unstuck.

The urge to dominate with melodramatic heroism seemed to overwhelm the need to win, and so it was the India's much-vaunted batting lapsed into profligacy, burning the candle at both ends as the frenetic six-hitting suggested, when even a flickering flame from one end should have been enough to quell the Kiwis.

By the time the second match finished, India's desperation to win both was evident, but also the fact that they did not quite know how. Tactically, New Zealand stole many marches over their counterparts: Brendon McCullum proved that there is a sheet anchor's role even in a T-20 match, Vettori's bowling changes were astute and his fielders were outstanding.

Fact is, Twenty20 cricket is a great leveller: The format also allows little scope for error simply because there is very little scope for recovery, and teams have to be on their toes and sharp-witted all the time. India's success in the 2007 World Championship is testimony to this.

But let's not be too despondent about the future of this Indian team despite the recent setback. They looked too good when they embarked for New Zealand, have looked 'two' bad for the moment, and there is reason to believe they can be very good for the remainder of the tour if the lessons have been learned.

There is strong quality and ambition in the players to suggest that the quest for being the best in the world is not unfounded. If it is not taken for granted.