New Zealand all-rounder Jacob Oram refuses to see his side as superior to India ahead of the tri-series clash between the two teams in the cricket tri-series in Harare on Friday.
"I don't think we have the edge over India. When I look at the Indian side, there is so much of talent and experience in their ranks. We won't be reading too much into what happened in Bulawayo and I am sure the Indians won't be reading too much into it either," said Oram.
India were blown away by a hurricane called Shane Bond in Bulawayo last week. Since then, their team management has claimed they were caught off-guard while still getting used to the conditions.
New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming himself has rated the Indians dangerous, more so their left-arm pacers, whom he dubbed world class.
Oram also believes the likes of Sourav Ganguly and Virender Sehwag cannot be kept quiet for too long.
"Ganguly, Dravid and Sehwag are not the types who will be in a slump for long. They are a very good side; just look at the individuals and see how much talent they have.
"Like we did in Bulawayo, we will have to step up to the plate and deliver tomorrow too."
Oram said it is laughable if critics are terming his side favourites in the tournament on the basis of just one game in Bulawayo.
"To say that we have been dominating them on the basis of one game last week is a very general statement. I don't see ourselves as the outright favourites," he Oram.
"We must learn to deal with it [expectations] if we want to be a good side. We have many all-rounders and therefore the bowling options are endless.
"If we can play good cricket on a consistent basis we can be up there with the best."
Oram said his top order batsmen practised hard in the nets to be in a position to counter the Indian left-arm duo of Irfan Pathan and Ashish Nehra.
"Our top order has played long enough and is experienced enough to work out means to negate the duo. We were perhaps caught off guard in Bulawayo, not having played quality left-arm swing bowling for a long time.
"But in the time succeeding the game, we have worked very hard on the alignment to left-arm bowlers."
Oram agreed about the impact of Shane Bond only to the extent that he provided the thrust to their attack.
But he insisted that the pressure exerted by the bowlers from the other end was not negligible.
"For us, Shane Bond has been a massive bonus. He has provided an element that we didn't have when he was injured," Oram said.
"But for him to pick up wickets, there has to be pressure at the other end. He took four wickets yesterday but Kyle Mills bowled very well at the start of the innings and the spinners kept the pressure in the middle overs.
"We have not talked about our bowling being a one-man show. Bowling is all about partnerships, much like batting is."
Oram looked at Friday's game as a sneak preview to the final.
"If you look at the table, you might say this is a warm-up game, but it still is a full international. There is the chance to improve personal records and to play against a top international side.
"It will be interesting to see team make-ups, maybe a few guys being rested. It will be a sneak preview to the final."
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