Kyle Mills Ruled Out Of Final Test With Knee Injury
Out injured: Kyle Mills.
©REUTERS/Anthony Phelps (NEW ZEALAND) Picture Supplied by Action Images
The bowler had been passed fit after undergoing a fitness test after the second Test, won by England, but only managed to bowl two overs in training before breaking down.
Mills said he had been carrying the injury since the first Twenty20 International against England in February.
"It's something I haven't had before. I've had strains and tears before and I know what they feel like but this is just at the back of the knee," Mills told reporters.
"It all started in the Twenty20 game back at Eden Park (which) is sand based and I dove into it and got jammed up really.
"Ever since then it has been niggling me. Plus the heavy workload in the first three days of the last test, it got tired there towards the end."
Mills added that the scan had revealed a slight tear in his left calf muscle which was causing pain in his knee.
"I don't have an issue with my calf muscle at all. It feels fine. It's just the inflammation around that tear that is giving me some problems around the back of my knee."
With no Mills to choose from, New Zealand may hand a debut to teenage pace bowler Tim Southee, although they may yet go with two spinners with Jeetan Patel preferred.
