Ajaz Patel ensured the Mumbai Test between India and New Zealand will be etched in history, and despite the 33-year-old scripting a very rare tale in international cricket, the visiting side were let down by their batters. India are in a firm position to complete yet another series win on home turf in Mumbai, with their bowlers running rampant on Day 2.
On the opening day of the Test, India won the toss and chose to bat first. The game was delayed for a while due to rain, but once the game resumed, Shubman Gill and Mayank Agarwal put up a brilliant partnership for the opening wicket.
They played positive shots, kept the scorecard ticking at a good pace, and seemed to have all control on the game, but once Patel was introduced into the attack, things began to unravel.
His 10-wicket heroics in an inning started with the wicket of Gill, who lashed at a slower delivery with hard hands, only to find an outside edge going straight to slips. In his next over, he bowled an absolute belter to clean up Pujara’s stumps, and also dismissed Virat Kohli through a much talked-about LBW call.
Shreyas Iyer got a good start with some lovely looking boundaries, but a little lapse in concentration cost him his wicket with nearly 20 overs remaining on the opening day. But Mayank managed to hold the fort alongside Wriddhiman Saha, and in the process, the former completed a magnificent Test hundred, which was his fourth in this format.
Saha and Mayank added 41 runs before the day finished due to bad light, and it seemed like the duo will add more runs to the tally next. However, Patel had other ideas.
Hailing from the city of Mumbai, he moved to New Zealand over 25 years ago, and upon his return to the city, Ajaz made history on Day 2. He started with two immediate wickets in his first over of the day, dismissing Saha and Ravichandran Ashwin in successive deliveries.
Patel and Mayank weathered the storm for the session, and managed to keep things in control. They did not attack the spinners much and kept nudging singles besides the few boundaries they got behind the wicket. But after the lunch break, once Mayank completed his 150, it was the left-arm spinner taking full control.
Agarwal played a rather tame shot after completing his 150 and edged it to the keeper, whilst Axar offered no shot to an incoming delivery, which was adjudged LBW upon a referral from New Zealand. Jayant Yadav found the deep fielder with a lofted shot, and then came the final nail in the coffin, one that put his name next to Jim Laker and Anil Kumble.
Umesh Yadav’s wild swing went only as far as the mid-on catching-position fielder, and every person in the stadium was on their feet applauding the spinner’s achievement. He walked off to a standing ovation from the Wankhede crowd and returned with figures of 10/119 as India got bowled out for 325 runs.
New Zealand’s elation brought by his achievement stayed only as long as 30 minutes, as Mohammed Siraj crippled their top order with a sensational opening spell. He got an edge off Will Young in his second over, caught in the slips by Kohli, and then dismissed Tom Latham via an intelligent field setting courtesy the Indian skipper.
Latham had pulled it straight to a deep square leg fielder, who was 10 yards inside the boundary. He then bowled an absolute scorcher to knock Ross Taylor’s off-stump, who played completely down the wrong line. The Indian spinners took over from here with the scorecard reading 17/3, and wickets kept tumbling in a canter.
Patel trapped Daryl Mitchell in front of the stumps with the one that straightens, and Ashwin cleaned up Henry Nicholls with his first ball of the day. Yadav joined the act to get his first of the innings, dismissing Rachin Ravindra, and the rest was a mere formality.
New Zealand were bowled out for 62 runs, only the second time in Tests they were dismissed in double figures against India. It was also their lowest total against the Indians, which was inflicted via stunning performances from Ravi Ashwin (4/8), Mohammed Siraj (3/19) and Patel (2/14).
India did not enforce follow-on just the way they usually do, and Gill did not come out to open due to an injury he picked up while fielding at short leg. Cheteshwar Pujara came out to open alongside Mayank, and the duo showed New Zealand that this track isn’t as scary as they made it.
After a strong, positive start, they ensured no wickets fell before the end of the day. India, at stumps, scored 69 runs for the loss of no wickets, and they lead by 332 runs, with Agarwal batting on 38 and Pujara on 29.
Brief Scores
India 1st innings: 325 all out in 109.5 overs (Agarwal 150, Patel 52; Patel 10/119)
New Zealand 1st innings: 62 all out in 28.1 overs (Ashwin 4/8, Siraj 3/19)
India 2nd innings: 69/0 in 21 overs
India lead by 332 runs
