Injuries at an inopportune time affected Kyle Mills's prospects of making a more significant start to his international career. While he was recovering, Shane Bond, Ian Butler and Jacob Oram seized their opportunities, making it harder for Mills to force his way back. In and out of the team after the 2003 World Cup in which he made only one fleeting, wicketless appearance - he marked another comeback, against Pakistan in 2003-04, by picking up a reprimand for excessive appealing. However, he did enough to earn a call-up for the tour of England in 2004, and made his Test debut in the third match at Trent Bridge. But he picked up a side strain during the game, and was forced to fly home and miss the NatWest Series. That was a shame, as one-day cricket is really his forte: he played