By Mark Richardson New Zealand batsman in India

A drawn Test series in India was a fair result, seeing as they dominated the first match and we controlled the second.

But to tell you the truth, we are silently claiming a moral victory.

A JOB WELL DONE I'm returning home with 172 runs at an average of 57, so I will put a tick in the success column

After we won the home series on our filthy green seaming wickets almost a year ago, the heat was on the Indians to spin us out on their dry turning wickets and exact some revenge.

It didn't happen.

During the build-up and also mid-series we extensively used the term 'adapt'.

We used it as a way to torment the Indian players and media and to constantly remind them they couldn't adapt to our lively wickets but we could to theirs.

When we enforced the follow-on in Mohali after ripping through their tail before reducing them to 10-3, our moral victory was complete.

They held on for a draw, the likeliest of results, so there was no historic first series win in India for New Zealand but I'm going home quite satisfied.

I've been a little disappointed with the attitude of the Indian media and commentators.

Yes, the two Test strips were batter-friendly and getting twenty wickets was unlikely for both sides.

But we felt there was enough assistance for the slow bowlers, and our batting efforts were not given the credit they deserved as we successfully negotiated the ever-present threat of India's spinners.

Batting was never easy in India but we applied ourselves admirably

Over the last few years our team has been rewriting the record books on a regular basis, and any success is a result of our ever-increasing professionalism.

In the end, I believe this series was drawn because two sides adept at playing world-class slow-bowling reached a stalemate.

I'm not in the one-day squad so I'm going home on Tuesday, and while I can't wait to have a latte on an Auckland waterfront cafe, I am leaving with a real respect for this country as a cricket destination.

The people's passion for the game still astounds me.

I have never signed so many autographs and had so many photos taken of me - and that is while having my breakfast!

Administration appears to be very accommodating, facilities are second-to-none and, like Australia, it is an environment where skill will come to the forefront and weaknesses will be exposed.

In my mind, it will always be right up there as one the great tours for any cricket team.

I'm returning home with 172 runs at an average of 57, so I will put a tick in the success column.

But no sooner is this challenge over than another one begins - the fire of Pakistan on New Zealand green seamers in our summer. Such is the life of a Test cricketer in a two-match series environment.