New Zealand are due to begin their second World Test Championship (WTC) campaign with a two-match Test series against India, beginning November 25 in Kanpur.

Ahead of the opening Test, Kiwi coach Gary Stead has hinted that the defending World Test Champions may field three specialist spinners against India if the conditions demand.

However, Stead feels the series won't feature the kind of tracks that England got in Ahmedabad during their India tour earlier this year.

"You have to look and realise how teams come here often and don't win. That's the enormity of obvious challenge," Stead said during a media conference on Tuesday (November 23).

"The traditional way of playing four seamers and one part-time spinner can't be the way to go over here. You may see three spinners playing in this game and that will be decided once we have a look at the surface," he added.

The tourists have picked five spinners in the squad for the two Tests. Experienced spin trio Ajaz Patel, Will Somerville and Mitchell Santner will be supported by rising stars Rachin Ravindra and Glenn Phillips.

Stead said while basic tenets of Test cricket remain the same, the approach has to change depending on conditions.

"From our perspective, we have to change the way we play but also sticking to some of the key principles of Test cricket. We will try to be competitive for long long periods of time."

Asked if he would speak to the groundsmen considering the controversy around pitches during England’s tour of India, the coach cheekily replied: "I don't think I really get to have a say in that."

Gary Stead also pointed out that the England series was a different ball game due to multiple Tests being held at the same venue.

"Look, there's no doubt those were challenging conditions but difference is that we have two Tests at two different venues and they (England) were playing multiple Tests at the same ground (two in Chennai and two in Ahmedabad)."

"We know there will be differences as in Kanpur you will have black clay and in Wankhede, you will have red clay. These are certain adaptations that we have to make," the coach explained.

Stead wasn't concerned over the lack of practice games as the hosts too haven’t played red-ball cricket lately.

"In this Covid world, it is difficult to get practice games but India is also coming on the back of T20s and is on a similar boat to what we are."

(With PTI inputs)