WELLINGTON: Ajaz Patel’s historic feat of taking 10 wickets in a Test innings was not enough to secure his place in New Zealand’s squad for a home series against Bangladesh.

Off-spinner Patel became only the third player in Test history after England’s Jim Laker and India’s Anil Kumble to take all 10 wickets in an innings when he claimed 10-119 in the second Test against India earlier this month.

But he was absent on Thursday from New Zealand’s 13-man squad for a two-Test series against Bangladesh, beginning on Jan 1, after being deemed surplus to requirements for matches on the greener surfaces of Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui and Hagley Oval in Christchurch.

New Zealand coach Gary Stead expressed sympathy for Patel, who has failed to take a wicket in three Tests on home soil, despite his heroics in India.

“You do feel for Ajaz after his record-breaking display in India,” he said in a statement. “However, we’ve always applied a horses-for-courses selection policy and believe the

players selected best fit the way we want to take on Bangladesh here at home.”

All-rounders Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell can offer spin but New Zealand’s main focus will be on moving the ball at pace with seamers Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Neil Wagner, Kyle Jamieson and Matt Henry all selected.

“We feel having both Rachin and Daryl in the squad gives us a nice balance and the ability to pick a side best suited to the conditions we expect,” Stead said.

Tom Latham will captain New Zealand in the absence of Kane Williamson, who suffered a recurrence of an elbow injury in India and will miss both Tests.

“It’s obviously disappointing not to have Kane available for this series but, as we noted in India, he is undergoing a sustained period of rest followed by rehabilitation, strengthening and gradual batting loading,” Stead said. “We have every confidence in Tom leading the side. He’s done an excellent job in the past when called upon.”

Free-scoring opener Devon Conway returns to the squad, however, after missing the 1-0 series loss in India because of a broken hand sustained when he punched his bat in frustration during the Twenty20 World Cup.

The series opens at Bay Oval on New Year’s Day and will be New Zealand’s first home Test since they won the World Test Championship by beating India in England earlier this year.

The Black Caps are unbeaten in eight home Test series going back to their last reverse, a 1-0 loss to South Africa in March 2017.

Squad: Tom Latham (captain), Devon Conway, Will Young, Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell, Rachin Ravindra, Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Trent Boult.

Published in Dawn, December 24th, 2021