Ajaz Patel’s 10-wicket haul is a great moment not only for him but for New Zealand and world cricket as well, the legendary Richard Hadlee said while praising the spinner.
Ajaz Patel became only the third bowler in the history of Test cricket to take all 10 wickets in an innings. The left-arm spinner achieved the rare feat on Saturday (December 3) against India in the second Test, joining the illustrious company of Jim Laker and Anil Kumble.
Ajaz Patel Picks All 10 Indian Wickets Becoming 3rd Player After Jim Laker And Anil Kumble To Achieve The Feat
The 33-year-old spinner also surpassed Richard Hadlee’s record of best figures by a New Zealand bowler. Richard Hadlee had taken nine for 52 versus Australia back in 1985.
“Congratulations to Ajaz on a superb bowling performance. It was a delight to watch. A well-deserved reward, and a great moment for him, New Zealand cricket, and world cricket,” Hadlee said in a statement. “To be in the great company of Jim Laker and Anil Kumble is very special indeed,” the statement added.
The Mumbai-born New Zealand left-arm spinner picked up all 10 wickets in India’s first innings on Day 2 of the second Test match at the Wankhede Stadium becoming only the third bowler after England’s Jim Laker and India’s Anil Kumble in the history of cricket to achieve the spectacular feat.
Ajaz Patel, who had got all of India’s four wickets on Day 1, got six more wickets to become the first New Zealand bowler to grab a 10-for in an innings. His figures of 10 for 119 are now the best ever by any bowler in India.
Ajaz Patel’s 10 Wickets May Come In A Losing Cause As New Zealand Was Dismissed For 62 In Reply
Both, Jim Laker and Anil Kumble had ended up winning the Tests, for England and India respectively. Before Ajaz Patel’s achievement, Richard Hadlee’s 9 for 52 at the Gabba in 1985 was the best by a New Zealander but that too had come in a winning cause.
Ajaz Patel put up a brave front after toiling hard for his 10 wickets, bowling almost non-stop in the Indian first innings for 47.6 overs, only to see his teammates fritter away his exemplary achievement. The New Zealanders are staring down the barrel and an Indian win feels like only a matter of time.
Veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin took four wickets in the last session to help India bowl New Zealand out for 62 the lowest Test total on Indian soil. He said Ajaz Patel has joined an elite club which “eludes 99 percent of the bowler that play the game.”
England off-spinner Jim Laker was the first bowler to take a Test ten-for, against Australia in 1956 at Old Trafford. Indian leg spinner Anil Kumble is the only other player ever to do so, against Pakistan in 1999 at Delhi’s Feroz Shah Kotla, before Ajaz Patel’s heroics.
India has taken a lead of 539 runs after bundling out New Zealand for 62. India declared at 276/6 in the 2nd innings on the 3rd Day of the 2nd Test. New Zealand has to score a monumental target of 540 runs inside 2 days.
The hosts started Day 3 on a strong note with Mayank Agarwal (62) and Cheteshwar Pujara (47) adding 107 runs for the first wicket and then skipper Virat Kohli(36) added 83 runs for the third wicket with Shubman Gill(47). Axar Patel scored 52 and unbeaten 41 in the two innings.