Martin aims to bounce back after poor season

Chris Martin, the New Zealand seamer, had a poor 2009-10 season and has said that his performance in the upcoming series against India will help him decide on his future. "I would like to go out on my terms. I don't have any confirmed feeling on how long I will continue; whether I will play one more year or not. It will be totally about enjoyment and that will only come if I do well."

Martin, who has taken 181 wickets in 56 Tests, picked up only 16 wickets at 47.93 in the six Tests he played in the last year. His bowling had lost sting so much so that during a wicket-less Test - Martin's last- against Australia in Hamilton, he was the last of the five specialist bowlers Daniel Vettori turned to in Australia's second innings.

"I didn't enjoy the last year," Martin, who will turn 36 this December, said. "I don't know whether it was a cyclical thing or something to do with me getting old. The goal this year is to put that right. I am training and working my butt off and I will decide on my future based on how I am enjoying while bowling in the matches."

Mark Greatbatch, New Zealand's coach, shared his views on the pace options besides Martin. "We've two guys who have come in, Andy McKay and Hamish Bennett.

Both are young as far as the international scene is concerned but both have got raw pace about them and that can make a lot of difference. I think Tim Southee is developing. He is only 21-22; he has got a bit of experience.

"Some of these guys haven't been seen much by the opposition and that's always quite a good thing as far as not picking up a bowler goes."

Martin was hopeful that the pitch would offer something to the seamers. "If the practice pitches are anything to go by, you would see the seamers having a role in the game. If you look at the stats for the last three series in India, I think the spinner and the quickies have taken wickets evenly. It gives me a bit of a chance and bit of a hope that the wicket will deteriorate and hopefully I will get into the act."

Martin said that his team was mentally prepared for the SG ball that aids reverse-swing. "This ball reverses earlier and more than the Kookaburra ball; My last international game was in April. There is no warm-up game here, but the way international calendar is these days, it's not a surprise." Martin said he hoped that the experience of playing in Zimbabwe on the A tour would stand him in good stead. "It's good to have some cricket under your belt."