India's pace spearhead Zaheer Khan, who is recovering from the injury he sustained on his right knee during India's Super Max game last week, chose to skip the optional practice which the team availed in extremely windy and demanding conditions at Basin Reserve on Tuesday morning.

The left-arm seamer chose to avail the option of skipping nets ahead of the first Test, starting on Thursday, along with batsmen Sachin Tendulkar and V V S Laxman and pacer Ajit Agarkar.

Though all the four are certain to play the first Test, Zaheer, who has not spent enough time at the nets due to the injury, is absolutely vital in India's plan on a grassy pitch.

The famous Wellington wind was in play yet again at the ground on Tuesday morning as it howled from all corners and made cricketers, mediamen and a handful of cricket fans shiver in overcast conditions.

The attention though quickly shifted to the centre where an extremely grassy pitch promised run-making extremely difficult in the first Test.

"There is so much grass that cows could come and there still would be enough of it left on the pitch," said off-spinner Harbhajan Singh in his usual effervescent way as he tested a few Indian batsman with his bowling.

Vice-captain Rahul Dravid appeared lost in the surroundings for a moment as he walked to bat in the nets without a helmet, until a gentle reminder from skipper Ganguly sent him scurrying to fetch the headgear.

Ganguly gave himself a decent bowl in the nets and after going past the bat of pint-sized wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel several times, chose to come down and advise the youngster to "bat out as long as possible rather than play your shots" -- a role Patel would be asked to fulfill to the best of his ability in the first Test.

Patel though appeared nonchalant with the instruction and smashed bowlers all-around the park, including a few big
heaves against his captain.

New Zealand chose to avail nets first in the morning and everyone's eyes were focused on the fiery Shane Bond, who immediately got into the thick of action, getting a lifter smash the hand of batsman Scott Styris.

Though Styris wreathed in pain for a considerable period, he recovered soon to continue his batting with some other
Kiwis including captain Stephen Fleming.

Fleming instructed his bowlers to bowl to him deliveries leaving the off-stump as he tried to work out his judgment of
stumps.

Groundsman Trevor Jackson offered optimism on his piece of turf in the middle and said it was "unusually dry" for a
surface which had suffered so much of rain in recent days.

"Despite its look, there is only little moisture on the pitch and it is pretty hard. It should offer good bounce and carry," said Jackson.

The groundsman said he plans to cut only a little grass from the pitch, implying the team winning the toss would have no option but to bat second in the first Test.