Martin Crowe and Jacob Oram, international players who dealt with their own share of debilitating injuries, offered encouragement to a bowler who has captured the public imagination in a summer which has unearthed more promise than usual.
Milne's pace has joined the announcement of Corey Anderson on the international stage along with the maturing of Ross Taylor, the development of Trent Boult, the emergence of Ish Sodhi and the renaissance of Jesse Ryder as "feelgood" stories for the nation's cricketing pulse.
That ended prematurely with Milne's abdominal strain in Napier. An expected six-week hiatus means the 21-year-old will return to fitness only in time for March's World T20.
Crowe acknowledges the news is devastating after Milne's recent impact but says the lay-off can be turned into a positive.
"As Adam heals it could be a time to reflect on his limitations. Sometimes as cricketers we have to accept we're built a certain way and assess how we best sustain our balance and power. That might mean he returns bowling to 90 per cent of his threshold. He's got years left in the game and a test career ahead."
Crowe cited the likes of Australians James Pattinson and Pat Cummins who are still struggling to return after stress fractures in their backs, despite promising starts to their careers.
Oram, who has played with Milne for New Zealand and Central Districts, says his first piece of advice is "don't rush back", because there is nothing more demoralising than repeating the dose.
"Adam needs to listen to his body and do everything the trainers, physiotherapist and coaches tell him. It's only natural to be disappointed after starting to make a name for himself. It's not solely about the numbers either. He's been pitching the majority of his balls in the right place, too. Potentially, he's a missing link in the team.
"Unfortunately such injuries can be a by-product of fast bowling. Biomechanists often say you're putting around six times your body weight through each delivery. Multiply that over a day's play and there's going to be a lot of stress placed on your joints, ankles, knees and back."
Canterbury's Hamish Bennett has earned a call-up to the ODI squad, although Kyle Mills is likely to replace Milne in the starting XI today.
Bennett enters as the top wicket-taker in the Plunket Shield this season, taking 24 wickets at 23.12. In the HRV Cup, he took three wickets at 49 with an economy rate of 7.35.
The 26-year-old has had his own share of ailments, including tears to the quadriceps, shoulder and groin all derived from a vulnerable front-on bowling action and dicky back.
He has been injury free since playing the Ford Trophy last year after removing weights from his fitness programme and replacing them with a mixture of yoga, swimming, hill walking and acupuncture. He doesn't put his arms behind his head in his bowling action either.
"I've spent so much time on a bed staring at the roof [post-operation] wondering if I'd get a chance to play again. So I'm thrilled it's led to playing the world's No1 ranked one-day team. It's made those times hating my body worthwhile."
Bennett last played an ODI in 2011 against Sri Lanka in Mumbai.
Teams (probable)
New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Jesse Ryder, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Brendon McCullum (c), Corey Anderson, Luke Ronchi, Nathan McCullum, Tim Southee, Kyle Mills, Mitchell McClenaghan.
India: Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (c), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami.
Pitch/forecast
If the pitch was a vehicle it'd have a speed limit somewhere between a motorway and a suburban cul-de-sac. It'll probably be the equivalent of a Main Rd headed out of town; slower than Napier but quicker than anything subcontinental. Rain is forecast mid-morning and early evening so expect Duckworth and Lewis to be summoned.
Players to watch
Martin Guptill: His 81 in Nelson is an island amid other ODI scores of 2, 1, 6 and 8 and T20 scores of 25 and 1 this summer. The meat of the bat can't be far away. However, his fielding is almost worthy of selection on its own.
Suresh Raina: Expectations are mounting for him to deliver a bigger score. He has no half-centuries in his past 10 ODI innings stretching to August. Starts aren't the problem; nine of his last 10 innings have been between 14 and 39.
Curious statistic
How much responsibility lies with Virat Kohli to anchor the Indian innings? Put it this way - Kohli has 11 ODI centuries outside India, the rest of the squad has 10.
- Andrew Alderson of the Herald on Sunday
