Rachin Ravindra could continue to wait for his chance to return to test cricket, hints teammate Daryl Mitchell, as the Blackcaps look to come back and draw their series against Bangladesh.
Last week, the Blackcaps were completely outplayed by the Tigers in Sylhet and slumped to a 150-run defeat on their return to Bangladesh.
The loss, which started New Zealand's new World Test Championship cycle, also represents the Blackcaps' first test defeat to Bangladesh in Bangladesh.
Now, with the second test to start in Dhaka on Wednesday, the Blackcaps will need to come back from 0-1 down to avoid that becoming a first series loss, in any conditions.
In the lead-up to the first test, the Blackcaps toyed with the idea of recalling 24-year-old Ravindra, who proved to be the biggest revelation of this year's World Cup in India.
In 10 games, Ravindra scored 578 runs at an average of more than 64, with centuries against England, Australia and Pakistan, and took five wickets with the ball.
But come the toss on the first morning in Sylhet, Ravindra was a surprise omission, as Glenn Phillips was selected for his first test since January 2020, batting out of position at No.7.
While Phillips is unlikely to be dropped for Dhaka, thanks to scoring a first-innings 42 and taking match figures of 5/100, Ravindra's shadow still looms over the Blackcaps.
Henry Nicholls' double failure with the bat sees him loom as the likely candidate to make way should the Blackcaps want to make a change.
However, Nicholls has largely always had the faith of coach Gary Stead, and repaid that with an unbeaten double-century to end the New Zealand summer after similar calls for him to be dropped.
For Mitchell, who himself had to wait until his late 20s to become a test regular, throwing Ravindra into the mix might not be the quick fix to resolve the Blackcaps' issues.
"That's above my pay grade," joked Mitchell. "He's obviously had a brilliant World Cup, and he'll have a massive future to play for New Zealand.
"But at the same time, we know that this test group has been successful for a long period of time.
"One of the strengths is that we've backed a number of guys over a period of years. I know personally, I was part of this group for a while before I got a crack, I carried many drinks.
"In some ways, that's a blessing. It allows you to watch how guys go about their business in different conditions, so when you do get your chance, you can be successful.
"I'm not sure when Chin [Ravindra] will get his chance, but I know he'll have a massive role to play for our country for many years to come."
So far, Ravindra has played just three tests since his debut in 2021, scoring just 73 runs at an average of less than 15, to go with three wickets at more than 63.
While conditions are almost certain to play into Bangladesh's hands, the Blackcaps can at the very least take solace from their last loss to the Tigers, coming at the start of 2022.
After falling to their first defeat to Bangladesh at Mt Maunganui with an eight wicket loss, the Blackcaps rebounded a week later, and thrashed their opponents by an innings and 117 runs in Christchurch.
Watch live, free-to-air coverage of the first test between the Blackcaps and Bangladesh on ThreeNow or follow live updates on Newshub from 4pm, Wednesday
