Black Caps can send Aussies top

Live Scoring: blackcaps.co.nz

Australia could rise to the world No.1 one-day international team as soon as Wednesday if New Zealand can repeat their opening game heroics and beat India again.

Taking a leaf out of Mitchell Johnson's playbook, New Zealand exposed a weakness in the Indian armour with fast and short-pitched bowling that played a large part in their 24-run loss in the opening match of the five ODI series played in Napier on Sunday.

A second victory for the Black Caps from the remaining four games in the series will see Australia rise to the top for the first time since August 2012.

With the Carlton Mid ODI series against England already sewn up after three consecutive victories, a New Zealand win will keep Australia top even should England discover a remarkable form reversal and win the remaining two matches.

However, New Zealand's latest strike weapon, Adam Milne, has been ruled out for the rest of the series against India.

Black Caps' team physiotherapist Paul Close said Milne required a six-week rehabilitation period for a strained abdominal muscle. Hamish Bennett, who last played for New Zealand two years ago, has been called into the squad for the second ODI in Hamilton on Wednesday.

Milne pounded India with a stream of deliveries in excess of 150km/h and claimed the wicket of Suresh Raina who was one of four top-order Indian batsmen to fall to a poorly executed pull shot.

Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni went the same way - as Milne, Mitchell McClenaghan and Tim Southee delivered a barrage of short-pitched deliveries.

But rather than abandon the hook, Dhoni said India needed to be more judicious how they used it because they could not afford to drop it from their repertoire.

"At times we will get caught because it is a difficult shot to play. But most of our batsmen like to play it since this is our strength," Dhoni said.

"Especially overseas, we need to play and master it."

McClenaghan, whose 4-68 shone out in the win over the world's top-ranked ODI side, said New Zealand had plans on how to unsettle each Indian batsman.

"We know there's a few of their guys who like to hook compulsively. It's about picking and choosing the times that we use it and the grounds we use it on because they all have different dimensions," McClenaghan said.

"At no point will we back away from a fight. We're not going to be nice. We're going to get in their face to let them know we intend to stamp our mark in the build-up to the World Cup."