Ajaz Patel of New Zealand entered the record books on Saturday, becoming only the third bowler in the history of Test cricket to claim all 10 wickets in an innings, on the second day of the second and final Test against India at the Wankhede Stadium.
With his figures of 10/119, Patel joined the likes of legends Jim Laker of England (1956) and India’s Anil Kumble (1999) to dismiss the entire opposing team single-handedly.
Laker claimed 10/53 against Australian at Old Trafford on July 26, 1956, while Kumble bagged 10/74 against Pakistan at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground in New Delhi on February 4, 1999.
Laker needed 51.2 overs to become the first bowler in the history of the game to take all-10 wickets in an innings while Kumble bowled only 26.3 overs for his haul.
Patel needed 47.5 overs — that he bowled in four spells of 24-10-57-4, 5-0-16-0, 6-0-16-2 and 12.5-2-30-4 — with his fourth spell on the second day of the Test being the most devastating.
The 33-year-old, who represents Auckland and Central Districts in domestic cricket, was born in Mumbai and had migrated with his family to New Zealand when he was eight.
On Saturday, he wrote his name in the history books on return to his place of birth, claiming the best bowling figures for a Black Caps bowler.
In the process, Patel produced the best bowling figures ever in an international match at the Wankhede stadium and also the best bowling figures against India.
Patel bowled brilliantly, gave the ball lots of revs, flighted it and kept a tight line and length. He was hit quite easily by Mayank Agarwal on the first day as the Indian opener targetted him, but the New Zealander came back strongly to claim two wickets in an over, dismissing Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli.
Patel calimed all his 10 wickets from one end — the Tata End at the Wankhede. On Friday, he bowled 24 overs unchanged from that end and after getting four wickets, never thought of bowling from the other end.
He was on a hat-trick in his 30th over, claimed two wickets off successive balls in his first over on the second day, trapping overnight batsman Wriddhiman Saha lbw for 27 and castling R Ashwin first ball with one that spun and struck the off-stump. Axar Patel survived the hat-trick ball but became his eighth victim.
On Friday after claiming four wickets, Patel had said that it was a special feeling to succeed at the Wankhede. On Saturday, he made it an extra special visit to his birthplace with an extraordinary effort and made it to the record books as the best New Zealand spinner.
