Will O'Rourke is back in red-ball cricket at the exact moment New Zealand need every fast-bowling option they can get. The BLACK CAPS paceman is making his return from injury just days before the first Test against England, which begins tomorrow night at Lord's.

O'Rourke joined D'Arcy to talk through his comeback, giving the BLACK CAPS a timely update as they turn back to Test cricket after a run away from whites. That matters because the series opens at one of the most prestigious grounds in the sport, where the margin for error is small and the pace attack will be under immediate scrutiny.

For New Zealand, the timing is as important as the return itself. A three-match Test series against England is a demanding first assignment, and bringing O'Rourke back into the frame adds depth to a bowling group that needs to settle quickly in conditions that will not forgive half-fitness.

The catch is that a return from injury is not the same thing as a full recovery, and there has been no public detail here on how much workload O'Rourke can handle or whether he is ready to play in the first Test. That leaves the Black Caps with a useful option and a live question at once, with selection decisions due before the team walks out at Lord's.

What happens next is simple enough: the series starts tomorrow night, and O'Rourke's progress will be measured not by the comeback story itself but by whether he is available when New Zealand need him most.