Kiwi coach Hesson to 'welcome' India with Milne-starring pace attack in Napier ODI

New Zealand coach Mike Hesson is reportedly intending to 'welcome' Indian batsmen by unleashing an aggressive pace attack on them, which would also include fast bowler Adam Milne, during Sunday's tour opener in Napier.

India arrived this week as the world's top-ranked one-day international side while New Zealand remain eighth, having missed the chance to move up a spot after a 2-2 ODI series draw with the West Indies.

According to Stuff.co.nz, home advantage, a bouncy McLean Park pitch and a fired-up pace attack provides New Zealand's point of difference against the tourists, who are coming in without a warm-up game after a tough tour of South Africa.

With a top speed of 153 kmh and after two excellent spells in the 2-0 T20 series win, Milne could fill the coach's blueprint against a prolific Indian top three of Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, and Hesson looks to use him in the team's pattern of controlling the middle overs by taking wickets at the top.

Hesson further said that they would encourage aggression in terms of where the ball is bowled, the pace and the areas of bowling as they have bowlers who are able to do that, adding that he expected little to change at McLean Park.