'Perfect 10': Mumbai-born Ajaz Patel third bowler in Test history to take all 10 wickets in an innings

Mumbai, December 4

Mumbai-born left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel on Saturday entered the record books as he became only the third bowler in the 144-year-old history of Test cricket to take all 10 wickets in an innings on the second day of the second Test against India here.

Patel, who had migrated to New Zealand with his parents back in 1996, ended the Indian innings with figures of 47.5-12-119-10 to equal England great Jim Laker and Indian legend Anil Kumble, who had achieved the rarest of rare feat in Test cricket.

The 33-year-old Patel, who is playing in his 11th Test, had only two five wicket hauls and a best match haul of seven wickets before Saturday's feat.

He bowled four separate spells of 24-10-57-4, 5-0-16-0, 6-0-16-2, 12.5-2-30-4 and got his 10th and final wicket in the form of Mohammed Siraj, who tried a slog and was caught by another player of Indian origin Rachin Ravindra.

Patel got a standing ovation from the team as the umpires handed him the coveted ball while leading his team off the field.

Incidentally, Patel is the second player after Douglas Jardine, who has played against India in his city of birth. 

Stars aligned for me to do it in Mumbai: Ajaz  

"The stars have aligned for me to do it in Mumbai," Ajaz Patel said after achieving the rare feat of scalping all 10 batters in an innings at the city of his birth.

The 33-year-old Patel had migrated to New Zealand from Mumbai with his parents back in 1996.

"Honestly, it's surreal and to be able to do that in my career is pretty special. The stars have aligned for me to do it in Mumbai," Patel said after his feat.

"Quite a special occasion for me and not just me but my family. Unfortunately for me, they're not here because of Covid. I'm in very illustrious company with Kumble sir as well."

Asked which scalp out of the 10 was special, he said, "Not anyone in particular and just trying to be repetitive and ask questions of batters.”

Cricketing fraternity hails feat   

The cricket fraternity on Saturday hailed New Zealand left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel's stupendous feat of taking all 10 wickets in an innings of a Test match, terming it an "unreal" and a "special" effort.

With all 10 wickets in his kitty, Patel also surpassed the great Richard Hadlee to record the best figures by a New Zealand bowler. Hadlee had taken nine for 52 versus Australia back in 1985.

"Welcome to the club #AjazPatel #Perfect10 Well bowled! A special effort to achieve it on Day1 & 2 of a test match," tweeted Kumble, who had taken 10 wickets against Pakistan in Delhi during the 1999 home series.

England's Laker had reached the rare milestone way back in 1956.

The 33-year-old Patel's effort was also the best by a visiting spinner in India, surpassing Australia's Nathan Lyon (8/50) in 2017.

While the other New Zealand bowlers were rendered ineffective, Patel troubled the Indians with his guile from day one when he took all the four wickets to fall.

"I have been privileged to see some incredible things from @BLACKCAPS in my 15 years of commentary and today is right up there. @AjazP That was special mate," wrote former New Zealand pacer Simon Doull, who is commentating the second Test.

"One of the toughest things to do in the game of cricket. To have an entire team in your kitty in an innings is too good to be true. Simply unreal. Well done young man - Ajaz Patel," wrote former India head coach Ravi Shastri. 

Australia's limited overs captain Aaron Finch added: "That's the most amazing thing I've ever seen!! Ajaz Patel….what a phenomenal performance." PTI