Ganguly hopes India can maintain winning ways

Sourav Ganguly does not believe in moral victories, so should his India side pull the one-day series against Kiwis back to 4-3, it would still represent a lost series.

Sourav Ganguly does not believe in moral victories, so should his India side pull the one-day series against New Zealand back to 4-3 with a third straight win in the final game in Hamilton on Tuesday, it would still represent a lost series.

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The India captain believes the series was a lot closer than it appeared when New Zealand took a winning 4-0 lead, but was relieved that his side had got back to winning ways with victories in the last two matches.

"Losing's not a good habit to get into and we've managed to shake it, which is very pleasing," he said.

"We need to win this last game to set us up nicely for the World Cup. It would not be a moral victory, it would be a lost series, but a better lost series than it looked like being at 0-4."

Ganguly said the match in Auckland, which turned into a frantic scramble at the end with India needing a run off the final two balls to win after being 182 for four -- just 18 runs shy of victory with seven overs left, was "a bit of panic".

"I didn't want to make a big issue of it because it's the first time anything like that has happened in the last 15-16 months," he said.

"But at the same time I hope it doesn't happen again. I think we took it a little bit too easy when we were cruising and almost left it too late."

Ganguly said the tour had been hard mentally -- "not physically because we haven't spent much time in the centre" -- and the team had travelled a lot and were looking forward to a two week break before travelling to South Africa and the World Cup.

GOOD PITCH

New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming said he believed the pitch was a good one, in stark contrast to the test strip played on last month when the match was over in less that two days.

However, Fleming admitted he was no expert "especially after this tour".

Fleming was worried by his side's attitude after they won the first four games and was keen to see a drop in the number of no-balls and wides his bowlers have coughed up in the last two games.

"I think it's a reflection of attitude," he said. "That was always going to be the risk having taken the series 4-0 and having three dead rubbers and just getting off the mark, but we're a team that can't afford to do that."

Fleming said he would probably have to do without fast bowler Shane Bond for the final match.

He was suffering from a middle ear problem which affected him during the match in Auckland two days ago.

Also in doubt was wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum, who was suffering from a bout of dizzy spells.