New Zealand left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel was elated as he achieved the incredible feat of becoming only the third bowler in the history of Test cricket to take 10 wickets in an innings. The remarkable record was bagged on Day 2 of the second Test against India in Mumbai, as he followed his four wickets on the opening day with the next six on December 4.
Ajaz’s 10-fer helped New Zealand dismiss India for a total of 325, which the visitors couldn’t give a befitting response to – being bundled out for just 62 – but personally, the Mumbai born Kiwi spinner had a lot to savour from the day he had his great homecoming.
Ajaz joined the elite list of bowlers with 10 wickets in an innings, including only England’s Jim Lacker and India great Anil Kumble. While Lacker became the first one to achieve the feat when he bagged figures of 10/53 in an innings of the 1956 Oval Test against Australia, Kumble famously took all ten in Delhi when Pakistan came to visit India in 1999.
Kumble was gracious enough to send a congratulatory video message to Ajaz as he joined him in the club. Ajaz remembers watching the great legspinner dismantle the Pakistan batting line-up in the second innings of that Test to end with figures of 10/74.
“I definitely do remember [Kumble’s effort at Feroz Shah Kotla]. I have seen highlights of it as well many a time. To be in such an illustrious group is really really special.
It was very cool to see his message and kind words. I am very very humbled and very very fortunate to be in such fine company.”
Ajaz was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
Ajaz was also delighted to see his name on the honours’ board at the Wankhede stadium, a place close to his heart, having spent his childhood days in the state of Maharashtra. He was only eight years old when he moved to New Zealand with his family and pursued his cricketing ambitions in the land of fast-bowling.
“To come back home to Mumbai and Wankhede and to be able to produce something like that is quite special. I am thankful to god for blessing me with such an occasion in my cricketing journey,”
he said.
“I mean I knew leaving here last night there was still work to do. I really really wanted to get my name on the honours board. I had no expectation of it going up in this fashion. It is very special and pretty cool. One of the first things I saw when I got off was my name is definitely going to be on the honours board now.”
Summing up his emotions, the bowler mentioned it is “one of the greatest cricketing days in my life” and one that he will never ever be able to forget through the rest of his journey. In one innings of cricket, Ajaz brought his Test average for New Zealand down from 32.48 to a shade above 27.
Regarded as one of the better spinners to have come out of the New Zealand system, Ajaz has only sporadically got his chances in the Test attack but still boasts of a very encouraging record. At home, he has managed to tighten up the screws on opposition batting – an economy rate of only 2.77 – and away, he has played a crucial part in New Zealand’s historic wins in the UAE and Sri Lanka.
