New Zealand's two leading spin bowlers face massive workloads in India later this month, but will likely enter the two-test series with no matchplay under their belts.
Blackcaps coach Gary Stead has named a 15-man squad, with COVID-19 bubble fatigue forcing veterans Trent Boult and Colin de Grandhomme out of contention.
While many of the roster contest the T20 World Cup in the UAE, spin exponent Ajaz Patel is consigned to more basic preparation - alone with plastic stumps, down at his local club.
"It is humbling," he admits.
While the left-armer is contracted to the Central Stags for domestic cricket, he's been unable to join the team, as he lives in Auckland, still under Alert Level 3 lockdown.
"I've just been out here going back to my roots with the outdoor cages," he explains.
That'll leave him without any match practice.
"It is frustrating," admits Patel. "You're trying to prepare for an international tour, and the lack of access to grass facilities and coaches and stuff like that…"
Regardless, Patel is thrilled at the prospect of playing in his country of birth.
"The coolest thing about it is we've got that last test in Mumbai," he says. "Mumbai's a place I've grown up, I've got a lot of family there.
"All of my wife's side of the family's there, my mum's immediate family are there and a lot of my extended family are there."
Stead confirms Patel and Will Sommerville - another cooling his heels in Auckland - will play massive roles in India, with both likely to play in the same XI.
"They've got the experience there for us at the moment, so when we look at the balance of the team, I think you're likely to have two seamers with that," says Stead. "Who knows, if it's a real dust bowl, you might only go in with one seamer."
For Patel, the days of bowling alone are almost a thing of the past.
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