India, Nov. 5 -- There are worse ways to begin preparing for an ODI World Cup in South Africa than being made uncomfortable in Auckland. India's five-wicket win was built on a cohesive fast bowling performance and Virat Kohli's 74 off 51 balls. But beyond the result was a more revealing story on the cusp of their win: a batting lineup confronted with the sort of surface that exposed familiar vulnerabilities.

Eden Park has always been a complex venue for visitors, not least because of its unusual dimensions. Rohit Sharma lasted six deliveries, Shubman Gill needed time to settle, Shreyas Iyer struggled to control the short ball, and even Kohli, who appeared to have worked out the conditions better than anyone else, eventually fell attempti...