It was almost as if Kyle Mills was experiencing an out-of-body experience.
Like a golfer trying to make sense of his putting yips, the Black Caps paceman fronted the media during a training session yesterday before the start of tomorrow's second test match against the Indians at McLean Park, Napier.
"I can't quite put my finger on it ... I had a few no-balls and bowling on two sides of the wicket. In international cricket that's just not good enough," he said at Nelson Park.
Earlier, the subdued 30-year-old worked with Caps bowling coach Shane Jurgensen, of Queensland.
"You hit the deck there quite well, Millsy," Jurgensen said after pointing out he needed to dip his shoulder more and lean forward on delivery as opposed to staying upright.
Nothing was spared. A tradesman's measuring tape was whipped out as a meticulous Mills measured his run-up to the popping crease down to the centimetre to eradicate a rash of no balls from overstepping in the first test in Hamilton last week. Fellow Caps and Jurgensen regularly gave him positive reinforcement each time he got his length and line past a goodish length and close to the offstump.
"I didn't have much rhythm. I did some work this morning and I'm slowly getting my rhythm back with a slight adjustment with my run up.
"The most concern for me last weekend was bowling the number of no-balls and I was always close to bowling no balls [last week].
"I was still thinking about that the whole way in on my run up. Half the battle's lost if you're thinking about that [where your foot should be]. I'm a big rhythm bowler and swing bowler and all you guys there watching knew it wasn't there in that last test match.
"I don't want to think about correcting that as I'm running in to bowl to Sachin Tendulkar."
"Turning the page" to move on was high on Mills' agenda because "there's no hiding in international cricket", something national convener of selectors Glenn Turner emphasised to SportToday on Monday night in acknowledging Mills' deficiencies.
Playing against some of the world's best batsmen, including opener Virender Sehwag who has no respect for any bowler, did make it a tougher environment.
"You always get knocked [around] in international cricket. The person who bounces back the best and the fastest will certainly get the results so I'm putting a lot of faith and ability in my skills and my past results.
"We looked at the footage this morning and we still haven't been bowling well to him [Sehwag]," he said, claiming the bowlers needed to focus on what they could control rather than what the batsmen were capable of inflicting.
"Cricket is my business and I have to give it my best every time I got out there to play. If there comes a time when my best is not good enough then so be it. But if I'm given an opportunity in this test match I'll put my best foot forward and, hopefully, do a real good job for my country."
He echoed Turner's sentiments that New Zealand hasn't excelled as a test nation, apart from a few years in the eighties. He longed to be part of the current outfit to buck that trend.
While top test nations played up to a dozen matches each season the Caps barely managed six.
The batting in yesterday's net session seemed quite low key but that is not to detract from the bowling of Napier Old Boys' Marist and Central Districts player Dougie Bracewell who uprooted the off stumps of Jesse Ryder and Mills.
Mills looks likely to retain his place tomorrow by default due to cap-less Brent Arnel's injury. Wellington off-spinner Jeetan Patel's season of frustration will continue and begs the question: When will the twin-spin attack of Patel and skipper Daniel Vettori come into play again (as it did against the Windies)?
Turner, who agreed on Monday night that Jamie How's return to form hadn't gone unnoticed, yesterday announced that the Stags' top-order batsman was joining the squad today on standby for an injured Daniel Flynn who was confined to throw downs.
Dropped in January during the Windies tour, How has hit back with 190 for New Zealand A against their English counterparts, a ton against Wellington a fortnight ago and 93 yesterday in CD's three-wicket win against Canterbury in New Plymouth.
TEST CRICKET - Millsy gets his rhythm and swing act going
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