The pivotal questions facing Blackcaps coach Stead for the second Test against India

Heading into the second Test against India, the Blackcaps are standing on the precipice of history.

On Thursday, they begin their quest to become the first New Zealand team to win a Test series in India - arguably the next best feat in cricket short of lifting an ICC trophy.

But while they may have had a touch of good fortune in Bengaluru, where conditions were more akin to those back home than the notoriously spin-friendly wickets they'd typically face on the subcontinent.

That situation will dramatically change in Pune, which has been - as it always has - curated meticulously for the local spinners to thrive.

With the inclusion of another spinner in his starting XI now essentially compulsory, the dilemma Blackcaps coach Gary Stead now faces is which of his trio of seamers used in the first test does he discard?

Going simply by the numbers, it seems a straightforward decision. Both Will O'Rourke (7/114 in 33 overs) and Matt Henry (8/117 in 37.5 overs) were outstanding at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, while Tim Southee (2/61 in 21 overs) - although improved from his disappointing outings in Sri Lanka, was used much more sparingly.

However, former Blackcaps coach Mike Hesson – who’s familiar with the conditions from his four season in the IPL - suggests the lack of juice on offer for the seamers in Pune in conjunction with its trademark crosswinds may make Southee and his ability to make the ball swing the more effective option ahead of the red-hot Henry.

"I think it's between him and Matt Henry (to miss out)," Hesson told SENZ's Scotty & Izzy. "And it seems stupid, given Henry's success in the last Test.

"But Henry got his wickets when the ball seamed, and this wicket is not going to seam at all. He got new ball wickets and it's not going to seam this time.

"The one thing they have to look at is that Tim Southee will give them control and allow their spinners to be the attacking weapons.

"That's the decision Gary has got to make - does he want someone who can swing the new ball? Because there's a wider cross breeze in Pune, the ball will always swing, and therefore it will reverse as well and Tim is probably our best exponent of reverse swing.

"We know he hasn't picked up the wickets he wants, but he was very much up to his pace last game.

"I think the easy option is to go with Henry and O'Rourke. But whether that's the best option for those conditions, I'm not so sure."

On the flipside of the coin, the resulting conundrum for Stead becomes which of his spinners does he bring in to accompany Ajaz Patel and Glenn Phillips?

Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner have both had their struggles of late, but Hesson believes the latter's experience and superior control should see him earn the nod.

"I think it has to be Mitch Santner," Hesson insisted.

"It's been really difficult for Ish Sodhi in Test cricket in recent times in terms of trying to control the game.

"I know (captain) Tom (Latham) likes to have a little bit of control over the run rate. The thing with Ish is that he can get hit both sides of the wicket and that's really hard to defend.

"I think they'll bring in Santner for a bit of control."

The brutal reality of playing cricket in India is that even if Stead nails those choices, they can all be for nought if his skipper loses the toss.

While Latham - who admitted he also would've batted first - may have had a significant stroke of luck in being asked to field after losing the toss in the opening test, there will be absolutely no doubt what the winner of Thursday's coin flip will elect in what could potentially be a match-deciding moment.

"You've got to win the toss," Hesson plainly stated. "That's going to be massive in Pune.

"They're obviously shaving the grass off it. You do not want to be batting on day three, four or five against their quality spinners. You do not want to be batting last.

"Tom Latham lost a really important toss the other day when Rohit Sharma decided to bat. But this one, New Zealand has got to bat first.

"If they do, they can actually create some pressure. Otherwise, it's going to be a hard slog. Pune on that black soil, it's going to become lower, slower, and harder to score and it can become a bit of a grind."

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Listen to the full interview below: