Picture Credit: BCCI
Ajaz Patel recently etched history. The New Zealand spinner became just the third player in cricket history to take all the 10 wickets in an innings. He achieved the feat during the second day of the Mumbai Test match during the BlackCaps tour of India. Post that, there have been all sorts of praises coming his way but veteran India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has been one of those who was not only seen applauding Ajaz for his incredible achievement by standing up in honour but has now talked at length about his achievement to the bowler in a video interaction with him.
During the conversation, Ashwin revealed what he told to the number 11 batter Mohammed Siraj when he was walking out to face Ajaz after he had just dismissed the ninth India batter Jayant Yadav. Ashwin recalls himself saying: "Getting a 10-wicket haul in an innings is really tough. Make sure he (Ajaz) earns it."
Ajaz had four more balls remaining in that over and while the first ball Siraj faced struck him on the pads but was going down the leg side, the second ball was inside-edged for a boundary. It was in the fifth ball of the 110th over of the innings that Siraj slogged across the line but only managed a top edge that went miles in the air.
As luck would have it, it was youngster Rachin Ravindra who was underneath the ball and once he completed the catch, Ajaz had entered into the history books joining Jim Laker and Anil Kumble in the 10-wicket haul in an innings club.
I used to love watching Wasim Akram bowl: Ajaz Patel
Ajaz also talked about the bowlers he enjoyed watching and named Sri Lanka's Rangana Herath along with Pakistan's Wasim Akram and New Zealand's Daniel Vettori as his favourite three bowlers to watch.
"Rangana watching him bowl, very similar in terms of height and stature but in terms of what he has achieved in the game, he is far ahead. Watching him bowl was a treat growing up as a spinner," said Ajaz Patel during the interaction.
"Wasim Akram, when I was younger, I used to love watching him bowl and Daniel Vettori just for his control. His (Vettori) control was phenomenal and to this day I look at him and I just think wow," he added.