India kick off their NZ series with a T20 match today. Sanjib Guha finds out why the two T20 fixtures are more important for Irfan Pathan, Rohit Sharma and Harbhajan Singh than their colleagues 

Lack of practice games during the New Zealand tour has meant that the first T20 match, that will be played today at Christchurch, has become extremely important for India as it would help the visitors acclimatise to the conditions. The match is also crucial for Harbhajan Singh, Rohit Sharma and Irfan Pathan who would be desperate to use this opportunity to seal their berths in the one-day side. 

While Harbhajan is coming back from wilderness, Irfan and Rohit are trying to regain their lost ground. Rohit and Irfan, who were certainties in ODI and T20 squads till the last year, have suddenly found their berths gone to the younger ones. 

Harbhajan, who is India's most experienced bowler, may find himself a bit unprepared as he will be playing after a long hiatus. The offie played his last T20 match in Australia a year ago. 

Coming back from wilderness and performing straightaway is easier said than done. Even India's World T20 championship winning cricket manager Lalchand Rajput feels that the faster they get used to the conditions, the better it is for the team. 

However, he felt it won't be that big a task for someone who has played professional cricket for so long. "I know it's not easy, but this much we can expect from someone like Harbahajn," Rajput told DNA. 

Mumbai's Rohit Sharma, who looked ordinary in Sri Lanka, is likely to get another opportunity to prove his worth and thus seal a one-day berth. "In today's scenario, you have to grab the opportunity …I admit he had a bad series in Sri Lanka, but now it's another stage and he has to fire again. Otherwise there are players who are waiting in the wings to fill in those voids," Rajput remarked. 

Sharma has been in and out of the ODI side where he was an automatic choice at least a year back. A bad series in Sri Lanka pushed him off the pedestal. "Being a quality batsman he can again get selectors' favour if he does well in New Zealand," the former Mumbai opener said. 

Rajput was full of praise for Irfan Pathan, who he considers to be the perfect player to swing the fate of any match. "He is the only quality allrounder we have, and so his form will be crucial for the Indian team," Rajput felt. "He is an ideal player for Indian T20 side," the ex-cricket manager pointed out.

Rajput, meanwhile, admitted that New Zealand is one of the most difficult places to tourbecause of the wet and windy conditions. 

Sanjib Guha/ DNA-Daily News & Analysis Source: 3D Syndication