Wellington: New Zealand's Mumbai-born left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel is thrilled at the prospect of turning up against India in the two-Test series.

The soft-spoken Patel, 31, said it is a fantastic moment in his career. "This is a huge opportunity for me to play against India. I never thought I would play against India so early as there were not too many matches scheduled against them," Patel said in Hindi on the sidelines of a promotional event on Wednesday.