New Zealand spinner Ajaz Patel produced one of the best Test bowling spells on December 4, 2021. In the second Test against India at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, the left-arm spinner took all ten wickets (10 for 119 in 47.5 overs) in India’s first innings, becoming only the third bowler ever – after Jim Laker and Anil Kumble – to achieve the milestone. He also became the first bowler to take all ten wickets in the first innings of a Test, the first to do it away from home, and the first to do so in a match his team eventually lost.
The game began with India electing to bat first and posting 325 runs, courtesy of Mayank Agarwal’s 150. Despite wickets falling around him, Agarwal held one end, but each one of India’s wicket fell to Ajaz.
However, the visitors could not build on their bowler’s once-in-a-lifetime achievement. Their batting collapsed in the first innings, as they managed only 62 runs in 28.1 overs. Mohammed Siraj and the Indian spin trio of Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, and Jayant Yadav ran through the lineup. Siraj removed the top order, while Ashwin took four wickets. The huge first-innings deficit meant New Zealand were already out of the contest.
India did not enforce the follow-on and instead strengthened their lead with a second-innings score of 276/7 declared. Agarwal added fifty to his daddy hundred from the first innings, while Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Virat Kohli all contributed. Ajaz added four more wickets to his overall tally and finished with 14 wickets in the match.
Chasing a target of 540, New Zealand were bowled out for 167 on the fourth morning. Daryl Mitchell added 60, and Henry Nicholls tried to contribute with the bat, but Jayant Yadav had a dream spell, taking four wickets in nine deliveries. Ashwin finished with four wickets in the innings and eight in the match, winning the Player of the Series award for his all-round performance. India won the Test by 372 runs, their biggest victory margin in terms of runs in Test cricket and also New Zealand’s largest defeat by runs. The win sealed the series 1-0 and gave India’s new head coach, Rahul Dravid, his first Test win.
Disclaimer: This Exclusive News is based on the author’s understanding, analysis, and instinct. As you review this information, consider the points mentioned and form your own conclusions.
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