Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli's exploits with the bat in the two-Test series sweep of New Zealand will encourage India to believe they have pinpointed the right men to help carry the team through a tricky transitional period. The series was the first for India since the retirements of batting stalwarts Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman, and represented the earliest Test of a situation that had been lurking on the horizon for quite some time.

The 24-year-old Pujara replaced Dravid at the number three spot in the Indian batting line-up and displayed a temperament as cool as his predecessor when he hit 159 in the opening match in Hyderabad, his first Test since January 2011. On Monday in Bangalore, the right-hander showed fine technique and a steely nerve during his innings of 48 which helped set up India's successful run chase of 261 in the second Test.

Image: Cheteshwar Pujara
Photographs: REUTERS/Vivek Prakash