Published By: Sayan Guha

On This Day (Dec. 4): When This Kiwi Spinner Matched Anil Kumble’s 10 Wickets Feat at Wankhede

Credit: Cricket Addictor

A magical performance that joined cricket’s most exclusive club

Taking all ten wickets in a Test innings is one of the most impressive feats in cricket history. England's Jim Laker did it first in 1956, torturing Australia at Old Trafford with a magnificent 10/53. Decades later, in 1999, India's Anil Kumble spun a web around PAK at the Feroz Shah Kotla, earning a perfect ten. Then, on December 4, 2021, Ajaz Patel joined this elite circle.

The New Zealand left-arm spinner not only took ten wickets, but he did it in Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium, a venue steeped in cricketing history and, coincidentally, his birthplace.

From Mumbai to Mount Eden and back

Ajaz's path to this historic moment is as impressive as his success. Born in Mumbai, he migrated to New Zealand as a kid, leaving the city's busy streets for the tranquil surroundings of Auckland. However, when Ajaz returned to Wankhede for the second Test against India in 2021, it was as if the pitch knew its long-lost son.

India batted first and scored a hard-fought 325 runs, with Mayank Agarwal leading the assault. But Ajaz had different intentions. His pinpoint accuracy and deft variations decimated India's potent lineup, sending veterans such as Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Shubman Gill back to the pavilion. What are the final figures? A whopping 10/119 in 47.5 overs.

The match that had everything

Despite Ajaz's exploits, cricket remained an excellent equaliser. New Zealand's batting faltered against India's spinners, scoring only 62 in response. India, in no mood for compassion, scored 276/7 in their second innings, giving the Kiwis an absurd target of 540 runs.

The visitors could not withstand the unrelenting Indian assault and collapsed for 167, losing by a massive 372 runs. Despite the wreckage of loss, Ajaz Patel stood strong, his 10-wicket haul immortalised in cricketing legend.

Ajaz's Mumbai connection

For Ajaz, Wankhede is a platform where he's delivered his best. His 14/225 stats in the 2021 Test remain the greatest by a visiting bowler on Indian soil. With the recent Test in 2024, he increased his Wankhede wicket record, bringing his total to an incredible 19 in only three innings. His dismissals of Sarfaraz Khan and Shubman Gill showcased the same accuracy that won him a flawless figure three years ago. He played a significant role in New Zealand's 3-0 victory against India in India, which looked literally impractical for any cricket team.

This places him among the top ten wicket-takers at Wankhede, with Indian icons such as Anil Kumble and Kapil Dev. Among visiting bowlers, only Ian Botham is ahead of him. It's as if magic happens as Ajaz goes onto the Wankhede field.

More than just numbers

Ajaz Patel's 10-wicket haul was about more than just numbers. It was about aspirations coming true, about a Mumbai lad who returned to his origins and made an unforgettable impact on the game. Even in loss, he emerged victorious, his name immortalised in cricket's pantheon of greats.

When Ajaz looks back on his trip, he will remember the noise of the Wankhede fans, the pitch where it all happened, and the pride of doing the remarkable in the place he once called home.