Mumbai: New Zealand’s star spinner Ajaz Patel became only the third bowler to pick up all 10 wickets in an innings in international cricket, achieving the feat against India in the second Test at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Mumbai-born left-armer Ajaz, whose parents emigrated to New Zealand in 1996, he continued his fine bowling performance and added six wickets to the four he took on the first day on Friday to finish with figures of 10/119. With this the 33 year old became the third bowler in the history of Test cricket to take all 10 wickets in an innings.
England great Jim Laker and Indian legend Anil Kumble, are the two players who had achieved the rarest of rare feat in Test cricket. Laker took 10-53 vs Australia at Manchester in July 1956. While Anil Kumble had figures of 10-74 against Pakistan.
Incredible achievement as Ajaz Patel picks up all 10 wickets in the 1st innings of the 2nd Test.
He becomes the third bowler in the history of Test cricket to achieve this feat.#INDvNZ @Paytm pic.twitter.com/5iOsMVEuWq
— BCCI (@BCCI) December 4, 2021
Patel, who was born in the same city, came back at this very venue to achieve the biggest feat of his life. It’s like his life came to a full circle. Earlier when the left arm spinner was asked about playing a Test match in the city of his birth Patel had spoken about how it did make him emotional.
“It is emotional. I was thinking about how many times I had left that airport but this time I am representing New Zealand….When I got off at the airport, I had a lot of flashbacks about leaving Mumbai for the first time and coming back for the first time. It will be a special moment for me, something I will look back on fondly in the future.” Patel had said.
India were all out for 325 runs in the first innings with Mayank Agarwal ending as the top scorer with 150 runs. Axar Patel also scored a dazzling half-century his maiden in international cricket.
