One last challenge awaits

No matter what happens in Mumbai, 2021 will go down in history as one of the Black Caps’ greatest years – and one of their most challenging.

It could yet be greater, as they face India in the second of two tests at Wankhede Stadium, starting today (first ball 5pm NZ time), looking to go one better than they did in Kanpur, where they finished with a lone wicket in hand as they secured a draw.

A win would be their first in India since 1988, give them their first series win there at the 12th time of trying, and extend their record unbeaten run in the game’s traditional format to 11 matches.

It would cap a memorable year where they earned the No 1 test ranking for the first time, qualified for and won the inaugural World Test Championship final, beat England in a test series for the first time since 1999, and made it to the Twenty20 World Cup final for the first time, losing to Australia last month.

And it would give the players and staff something to cherish as they head back to New Zealand via a stay in managed isolation – in some cases, not for the first, or even the second time.

Captain Kane Williamson left the country in March to play in the Indian Premier League and hasn’t been back since, but everyone else has returned at least once and spent 14 days – or more – cooped up in a hotel room.

The Black Caps are well aware of how privileged they are to have been able to come and go, while others have been forced to battle with the MIQ lottery system and many have been unable to return at all, while the Covid-19 pandemic rages on.

But all that travelling – and the time spent stuck inside hotels, not only in New Zealand, but on tour in England, Bangladesh, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, and India as well – has undoubtedly taken a toll.

Spinner Ajaz Patel is on his third tour this year. He went to England in May, played in the series-clinching win at Edgbaston, and was part of the squad for the World Test Championship final win over India. After returning home, he went to Bangladesh with a second-string T20 squad, then on to Pakistan – and after that tour was abandoned – the UAE, then home again.

‘‘The England tour feels now like it was a long, long time ago,’’ Patel said this week. ‘‘Having the World Test Championship final, which was quite an amazing game, then coming home and going through 15 days of isolation after a massive high was difficult.

‘‘I’m not going to really be that blunt about it, but it is difficult. It can play tricks with you and it can be a tough time, especially as a professional sportsman as well, who’s used to being active and getting around and getting in the gym and doing training and all of that kind of stuff.

‘‘I’m sure there’ll be a few fatigued bodies, but also just mentally, I think it can be quite draining,’’ Patel added.

‘‘I know a lot of the boys are probably pretty fizzed about getting back home and spending some time with family and then our show goes on – we’re straight back into cricket very soon once we get home as well.’’

Results like the one in Kanpur, where Patel was part of an unbeaten 10th-wicket partnership on the final afternoon with Rachin Ravindra as the Black Caps came away with a draw – their first in India since 2010 – make the efforts worth it.

But the Black Caps will have their work cut out to improve on that result in Mumbai, especially if the pitch plays to India’s spin strengths, as they look to avoid what would be just its third series defeat at home this century.