Spin twins get their turn after lengthy wait

Ajaz Patel hasn’t bowled in a firstclass cricket match since June, when the Black Caps defeated England at Edgbaston to claim a famous series win.

For Will Somerville, it’s been even longer, going back to the first week of April, when he played for Auckland in a Plunket Shield draw with Wellington.

That is likely to change when the first test against India in Kanpur starts tomorrow (first ball 5pm NZ time).

It’s a rematch of the inaugural World Test Championship final, which the Black Caps won in Southampton in England in June. Neither Patel nor Somerville – nor any spinner – played for New Zealand in that match.

But now they’re in India, where the Black Caps haven’t won a test since 1988, and where spin is set to play an outsized role.

Patel and Somerville are a good chance to both be named in the XI for the first test and make their fourth appearance together.

They’ve taken 28 wickets in those matches, which resulted in two wins (over Pakistan and Sri Lanka) and a loss (to Sri Lanka).

While they’ve made the most of helpful conditions in the United Arab Emirates and Sri Lanka, this will be another step up entirely, and Patel said they were excited to get going.

‘‘We feed off each other quite well,’’ he said of his relationship with Somerville.

‘‘He offers that height and bounce, whereas I offer that low skid and as a left-arm spinner and a right-arm off-spinner, we’re both turning it in different ways.

‘‘As a spinner, you thrive off other spinners being in the squad and playing together, because you can communicate, have a conversation and get a feel for what’s happening out in the middle.

‘‘There will be times when he’s attacking and other times when I’m attacking. We have a good understanding now we’ve played a few games together.’’

Patel was born in India and lived there until he was six. The second test later next week will take him to Mumbai, his home town, where he’s hoping friends and family will be in the stands.

He’s been in and out of the Black Caps test mix since his debut in 2018, starring on tours of spinfriendly Asian countries, but making way at home in seam-friendly conditions.

Injuries were also a disruption last summer, but after playing a useful role in England, where he took two wickets in each innings, then in Bangladesh in September, where he was the key bowler in a second-string T20 side, he appears to be in good form.

‘‘It was a tough kind of six to eight months kind of leading into [Edgbaston] with injuries and stuff like that,’’ Patel said.

‘‘So to come back into the squad and really contribute was quite pleasing for me personally and to then obviously have the opportunity to come here and play in India is something I’m really excited about.’’

Patel and Somerville left New Zealand for India on November 8, having been inactive in the early rounds of this summer’s Plunket Shield by virtue of being based in Auckland, which has been subject to a Covid-19 lockdown since midAugust.

They’ve had to make do with net practice while following the Black Caps T20 team around three cities before arriving in Kanpur on Monday to begin their final preparations for what will be the biggest test they have faced yet.