KEY POINTS:
MELBOURNE - In World Cup year, New Zealand cricketer Kyle Mills can't help but feel he's copped the short end of the stick.
Formerly New Zealand's main one-day international strike bowler in Shane Bond's absence, Mills got a brutal reintroduction to top-level cricket in sweltering Perth against Australia
last weekend.
In his 65th one-dayer Mills took one for 72 on one of the hottest playing days he'd ever experienced, then the rotation policy kicked in for the England match two days later in cooler conditions.
But he's hardly complaining.
Mills will take as many international matches as possible at the moment as he battles to return to top form after a knee injury cut into the bulk of this summer.
"It's been a hugely frustrating season. I was going so well for the 18 months leading up to the Champions Trophy, then got this little niggle at the wrong time -- the season of all seasons for it to happen," he said at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) nets yesterday.
"I've had to strengthen my knee up, then it was a reintroduction back into domestic cricket then international cricket. I'm playing catch-up a little bit, the more games I can get under the belt I'll benefit from."
As injuries cut down various New Zealand pacemen, including Bond, in the past two years, Mills, 27, responded admirably to becoming the go-to man with the new ball.
With his stock outswinger, he took 10 wickets at an average of 11.8 in New Zealand's run to the Champions Trophy semifinals in October, including figures of four for 38 in the loss to Australia in Mohali with Adam Gilchrist, Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke among his victims.
But the knee problem surfaced in domestic cricket and meant lengthy rehabilitation then a slow buildup in domestic cricket this month at the national selectors' behest.
Meanwhile, Bond, James Franklin, Mark Gillespie and Michael Mason all put up their hands at different stages in the tri-series, meaning a logjam for Mills to now push past.
"There's a lot of competition in the side at the moment. We've been edging towards that in the last couple of years with the injuries we've had," he said.
"Now we're getting all the players fit and you've got players with international ability on the bench."
It's music to coach John Bracewell's ears, having been criticised for his rotation policy during the home summer.
As for Mills, he'd simply like to get back on track, hopefully against Australia here on Sunday.
A minor hitch is again the weather, with 38degC forecast for Melbourne that day.
Mills said he struggled in the heat during a match in Potchefstroom, South Africa, last season but was intent on proving he could get through his 10 overs on a hot day.
"My match fitness was okay, it was more the heat. You don't get 42degC in the outer oval in Auckland and it's definitely a shock to the system.
"I heard this Sunday it's meant to be 38degC and there won't be much wind in there as well. If that's the case I've just got to deal with it and get on with the job."
He took some comfort from the fact opponents Glenn McGrath and Nathan Bracken, and his teammate Gillespie, also went for 70-plus in a high-scoring match in Perth.
If selected on Sunday, Mills will make his debut on the impressive MCG.
He was struck by the vastness of the ground at training today, and it revived memories of his only previous visit.
"I watched the All Blacks play here once which was a bit of a highlight (1997). It'll be my first go, it's an impressive sight standing in the middle, and with a full house it'd be pretty awesome."
- NZPA
