New Zealand’s Indian-born left-arm spinner wrote his name in cricket’s history books today in the 2nd Test match of the series against India as he became the 3rd bowler in the history of Test cricket to claim 10 wickets in an innings.
The first bowler to achieve this feat was England’s Jim Laker in 1956 against Australia. 43 years later, India’s Anil Kumble obtained this incredible feat in 1999 against Pakistan.
Ajaz Patel who bowled at an immaculate line and length throughout the innings was rewarded with this rarest of achievements.
The Indian team was in a comfortable position with a score of 80 without any loss and. New Zealand needed wickets to get back into the game. On the 28th over, Patel dismissed Indian opener Shubman Gill who was caught at slips.
Soon after Gill, Indian number 3 Cheteshwar Pujara was victim to a perfectly flighted delivery from Patel that knocked over the stumps as Pujara was out for a duck.
On the 30th over, Patel got the all-important wicket of Indian skipper Virat Kohli who also got out for 0 on a close call by the third umpire that saw a ball close to the bat and the pad at the same time on a decision that was reviewed by Kohli. But it was to be Patel’s day as the decision went in favour of him with the score reading 80/3.
Patel then dismissed Shreyas Iyer and Wriddhiman Saha on the 48th and the 72nd over of the game with an excellent display of spin bowling as he got to his five-wicket haul.
Immediately next ball to the wicket of Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin was completely deceived by a beautiful off-spin from Patel as the ball hit the off stump.
Mayank Agarwal, who was holding the Indian innings with a score of 150, also fell to Patel on the 100th over of the innings handing out a catch to keeper Tom Blundell.
As Patel had a successful lbw review that went his way on the dismissal of Axar Patel, the sense of a dream 10-for the innings strengthened at the Wankhede Stadium with India losing 8 wickets for 316 runs.
9 balls later, Jayant Yadav was caught at long-off who decided to hit Patel for a boundary only to give Patel his 9th wicket in the innings.
The magic moment came just after 3 balls as tail-ender Mohammed Siraj slogged across the line of the delivery who top-edged it and handed Rachin Ravindra an easy but all-important catch.
Ajaz Patel finished with figures of 47.5-12-119-10 in the city of Mumbai where he was born as India was bowled out for 325.
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