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Black Caps spinner Jeetan Patel lets fly - Source: Photosport -
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New Zealand are poised to enlist the brand of bowler India's batsmen were reared against in an attempt to gain parity in a Test cricket series that already appears beyond salvaging.
Offspinner Jeetan Patel's intermittent Test career is on the verge of extending to a seventh cap at McLean Park as New Zealand contemplate dispensing with erratic fast bowler Kyle Mills for captain Daniel Vettori's understudy.
Vettori has all but confirmed Patel, Wellington-born to Indian parents, will be included in the second Test 11 for a match the hosts must win or draw to prevent India claiming a series win on New Zealand soil for the first time since 1968-69, ahead of the final Test in Wellington week.
Patel at least has fond memories of McLean Park, having taken his solitary five-wicket haul - five for 110 - in Tests, against England last March.
He also claimed five wickets in his latest State Championship outing but the gulf in class is significant as Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman line up to benefit from arguably the best batting surface in this country.
The 28-year-old traditionally bowls well in tandem with Vettori.
On the three occasions the pair have complemented each other in New Zealand, Patel has 13 wickets at an average of 33.69; the skipper 11 at 43.18.
A final decision will be revealed at the toss on Thursday morning although Vettori said he and coach Andy Moles were leaning towards employing a second spinner.
Ideally, the pitch would be sporting a thicker grass covering for the seamers but another run-laden belter is in prospect.
Mills is a convenient fall guy after his sullen summer against the Indians reached its nadir during the tourists' 10-wicket win in the first Test in Hamilton.
The swing bowler took one expensive wicket and contributed just two runs.
Patel's inclusion will lengthen a tail including Iain O'Brien and Chris Martin, a necessary evil that risks leaving Vettori, a first test centurion, stranded.
He scored 118 in New Zealand's first innings in Hamilton, batting at No.8 with Jesse Ryder, and despite his good form he is against promoting himself.
James Franklin made a duck and 14 batting at No.6 in Hamilton but Vettori said the all-rounder deserved another opportunity to translate his domestic form to the test arena.
"He's been highly successful for Wellington (averaging 68.90 this season) and I think it would be unfair to just take that away from him after one performance."
At the top of the order, Daniel Flynn's prospects of batting at No 3 remain in the balance.
His left hand, bruised by an Ishant Sharma delivery during the first test, endured a thorough workout today but Flynn was clearly in pain while batting in the nets and fielded gingerly.
He must pass a fitness test or Jamie How will play his 19th Test.
Vettori acknowledged New Zealand had to improve across the board
to have a chance of squaring the series.
The priority is to bat a minimum of 120 overs, then remain
consistent with the ball and improve on a fielding performance that
saw four catches go begging in Hamilton.
"The longevity of the test match game is what's catching us out," he said.
"We do things well for maybe a session or two but we're not doing it well enough for four or five. That's what the good teams do.
"India played so well in that first Test, they seemed to win every key moment."
The tourists arrived in Napier from Auckland in a relaxed frame of mind.
Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni reported no concerns about the pitch or New Zealand's use of a second spinner before indicating India would retain the same 11.
"We've had one good hard (practice) session and we are ready for the game," he said, quashing any prospect of complacency creeping into his squad.
"We have achieved the first milestone, now it's important to play the same kind of cricket in the second and third game - winning the series would be the best gift the team can give to Sachin and Rahul," he said, referring to two stalwarts on their final tour here.
Teams:
New Zealand (probable) - Daniel Vettori (captain), Tim McIntosh,
Martin Guptill, Daniel Flynn/Jamie How, Ross Taylor, Jesse Ryder,
James Franklin, Brendon McCullum, Iain O'Brien, Jeetan Patel, Chris
Martin.
India - Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Gautam Gambhir, Virender
Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Vangipurappu Laxman, Yuvraj
Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Munaf
Patel.
