Watch: Ajaz Patel created history in the second India-New Zealand Test, becoming only the third bowler in history to pick up all ten wickets in a Test innings.
The spinner, who got to that mark on day two, now forms a part of an illustrious, short list alongside Anil Kumble and Jim Laker.
The moment arrived on the fifth ball of the 110th over when Ajaz enticed Mohammed Siraj into a massive swipe across the line. The pacer, rather unsurprisingly, skied the ball towards mid-on, where Rachin Ravindra held his nerve and became a part of cricketing folklore.
Ajaz bowled excellently throughout the innings and outfoxed all the Indian batters with his combination of dip, drift and flight. On the first day, he had accounted for four Indian batters, with his scalps of Cheteshwar Pujara, Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli keeping New Zealand in the hunt after India’s solid start. He also flummoxed Shreyas Iyer later in the day.
On day two, he produced a magnificent arm-ball to get the better of Wriddhiman Saha. He also conjured a magical delivery to send Ravichandran Ashwin packing. Thereafter, he trapped Axar Patel lbw, got Jayant Yadav to pick out long off before tempting Siraj into a mistimed slog.
Ajaz also became the only bowler to snap up a ten wicket-haul in the first innings of a Test, and the first to do so away from home. Laker had bagged 10 wickets in the third innings of the game at Old Trafford against England. Kumble, meanwhile, did so against Pakistan at Delhi in the fourth innings.
Watch all of Ajaz’s 10 wickets here:
