NEWS
Follow UsThe fans at the Wankhede Stadium were enthralled to a spin bowling masterclass as Ajaz Patel carved his name in the record books to become the third bowler to scalp ten wickets in an innings of the Test.
"Personally, it's one of the greatest cricketing days of my life, and it probably will always be," said Ajaz in a press conference post the end of day's play.
The 34-year old achieved this rare feat after he picked up the wicket of Mohammed Siraj to end the Indian innings on 325 runs in the first innings courtesy of a fine catch from Rachin Ravindra at mid-on.
"It was a nervous time. We backed Rachin to take it, but the ball wobbled, and we were all nervous. I told Neil Wagner, during drinks, that I was more nervous now than I was all game. We don't have these moments as cricketers often. It was special that it came in Mumbai," he sounded emotional, as his extended family still stays in Mumbai.
While the left-arm spinner wreaked havoc in the first innings and accounted for perfect ten wickets, the batting performance of the visiting side in their first innings was a tough pill to swallow for him.
"From the team's perspective, we put ourselves in a tough position. We have to front up tomorrow and work as hard as possible and see if we can turn the game around or eke out something special," Patel admitted.
In a city close to his heart, Ajaz endured a bittersweet day as New Zealand were bundled out for a mere 62 runs in the first innings.
"After I came off the field, things happened too quickly. These things don't sink in until later. It's brilliant for me, my family and my wife. You spend a lot of time away from home as a cricketer, and I'm just grateful to God for this occasion. It's very special for me.
Ajaz added that it is the "beauty of Test cricket by saying, "Things can flip, and one session can change the game. But we're still in the game, and the second innings is still left."
The Kiwi spinner was humbled by Kumble's tweet and was grinning from ear to ear.
Welcome to the club #AjazPatel #Perfect10 Well bowled! A special effort to achieve it on Day1 & 2 of a test match. #INDvzNZ
— Anil Kumble (@anilkumble1074) December 4, 2021
"Yeah, I remember his ten-for. I have seen highlights of that game plenty of times. Very illustrious group to be a part of. Great to see his message and his kind words. Humbled and fortunate to be in that company." he said.
While Ajaz is not a regular feature in the white-ball format for the Kiwis, his exploits could make one of the players to watch out for in the IPL auction.
"Oh, if I could get a contract, I would be lucky. But I haven't looked that far ahead. Playing for New Zealand is all I can think of doing. Whatever happens later on, we can worry about it later," he concluded.