After piloting the country to a comfortable victory against Japan in the first round, Leander Paes will again spearhead the Indian challenge against New Zealand in the second round Asia-Oceania Group 1 Davis Cup match in Kolkata next month.

Besides Paes, the other members of the team that played Japan in February -- Mahesh Bhupathi, Rohan Bopanna and Harsh Mankad -- and non-playing captain Ramesh Krishnan have been retained for the April 4-6 tie.

India and New Zealand have played each other four times and the Kiwis hold a 3-1 advantage.

But the Kiwis' victories came in the 1970s whereas India won the last meeting between the two 4-1, in another second round tie in Wellington last year.

The home advantage makes India favourites this time. Should they win the tie, it will be the fourth successive time that Krishnan's team will be making it to the World Group play-off stage.

The New Zealand quartet of Alistair Hunt, Mark Nielsen, Robert Cheyne and James Shortall blanked Pakistan 5-0 in the first round but will find the going tough under the humid conditions of the subcontinent.

"Wherever we play, I can assure that it will be the hottest place on earth," Paes had said soon after it became known that New Zealand would be India's second round opponents.