Cricket: Black Caps coach Gary Stead explains why Ajaz Patel got dropped for Bangladesh test

Ajaz Patel has been dropped for the Black Caps' upcoming test against Bangladesh. Photo / Photosport

The Black Caps are planning to play a spinner in the first test against Bangladesh at Mount Maunganui, just not the man who took 10 wickets in his last outing.

Black Caps coach Gary Stead indicated that all-rounder Rachin Ravindra would get the nod in the starting XI for the test that starts on New Year's Day, with Patel having missed the squad despite becoming just the third man to take a phenomenal 10 wickets in an innings in his last test in Mumbai.

The reason offered is the balance of the XI – with Ravindra batting at No 7, it gives the Black Caps appropriate batting depth, as opposed to a lengthy tail beginning with Kyle Jamieson batting seventh and Tim Southee eighth.

Stead proved that is an unpalatable option for the selectors when discussing Patel's omission.

'Which one of the four quicks are you going to drop for him to be better than?' Stead asked rhetorically, when the answer instead would be to drop Ravindra and include Patel in an elongated tail.

But with that off the table, Patel's chances of making a test squad in New Zealand drastically shrinks, and Stead acknowledged it was a difficult decision.

"If you look at the reality of spin bowlers in New Zealand in the last four or five years, there haven't been a lot of them take truckloads of wickets. That's not necessarily the spinners' fault, but shows the strength of where we're at with our pace bowling unit.

"The key message that went to Ajaz is that in New Zealand conditions we think our four seamers is the way we're highly likely to go, and so the role they'd play isn't the one they'd play in Asia.

"Ajaz is obviously disappointed but I think he was also realistic – he understood this was a possibility. That shows he's got really good self-awareness and understanding."

With the Black Caps unbeaten in their last 17 tests at home, it's hard to argue that the seam-first approach isn't a winning strategy, and Stead claims it's even more of an advantage against Bangladesh.

"We've shown success the way we've gone about it in the past, and we think it's the right way to go still in these two tests, particularly against Bangladesh who are probably more comfortable playing against spin bowling."

However, with Mount Maunganui's Bay Oval having provided 11 wickets to spinners in the two tests at the venue, including five to the also dropped Mitchell Santner at an average of 27.2, spin will still be on the agenda for the Black Caps.

"It's not like we're saying 'hey, there's no chance we're playing a spinner'," Stead explained. "Given the history of Mount Maunganui I'd be surprised if Rachin's not part of that starting XI."

With Colin de Grandhomme also not selected in the squad due to the dominance of the four seamers – Jamieson, Southee, Neil Wagner and Trent Boult – it puts plenty of pressure on the quartet to fire, with Stead hoping the Bay Oval wicket assists them with early bounce and carry before it deteriorates.

"If our four quicks do the job and the role we want them to, then I hope we're in a position where we're really dominating the test before it gets too late into it."

The only position in the starting XI still up for debate is Tom Latham's opening partner, with Devon Conway needing to get through a two-day New Zealand XI warm-up match against Bangladesh to prove his fitness.

Stead noted there were still discussions to be had about whether Conway or Will Young would open, but indicated Conway would likely get the nod, with Young dropping down to No 3.

Black Caps' likely XI for first test

Tom Latham, Devon Conway, Will Young, Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Tom Blundell, Rachin Ravindra, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Trent Boult.