"We were very pleased with how the bowlers went. But the batting remains a concern... We talked a lot about the batting," Hadlee said in Wellington on Monday, even as the selectors decided to stick to the same squad for the second Test starting at Hamilton on Thursday.

New Zealand crushed India within three days in the first Test at the Basin Reserve to gain a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.

"Mark Richardson was outstanding, but some have struggled for runs at the domestic level and it continued in this test match," a local daily quoted Hadlee as having said. "We decided to continue with the same side as it was just a two-Test series and keeping the same 12 together also helps prepare the side for the coming one-day series."

Hadlee stressed that it would have been different if it were a three-Test series.

The legendary fast bowler was all praise for his bowlers, especially debutant Jacob Oram for demolishing the formidable Indian batting line up, which folded up for a meager 161 in the first innings and 121 in the second.

Hadlee said he never doubted Oram's ability to cope up with the conditions. While fast bowler Shane Bond and opening batsman Richardson were instrumental for the victory at Basin Reserve, the big mover was Oram he said.

Oram finished with match haul of 5-59 and played a key role in his side's outstanding bowling performance. "He gets bounce and he makes life awkward for batsmen. We certainly see him as a future third seamer. He can also bat a bit which offers us a bigger batting depth," Hadlee said.

Noting that there are many challengers for the batting spots in the national side, Hadlee said. "It does not take a genius to work out that Otago's Brendon McCullam tops the list."

In the domestic competition where the ball generally dominates the bat, 21-year-old McCullam racked up 273 runs at an average of 68.25, including a century and two fifties. He also smashed 60 in the Super Max International match against India.

Mathew Sinclair also remains an option with 186 runs at an average of 31 as well as a half-century in the tour match between Central Districts and India.