New Zealand spinner Ajaz Patel on Saturday (December 4) etched his name in the history books as he became only the third bowler in cricket history to pick all 10 wickets in a Test innings.
Ajaz achieved the feat on Day 2 of the ongoing Mumbai Test against India when he dismissed Mohammed Siraj.
The left-arm spinner took the four Indian wickets that fell on Day 1 and he accounted for the remaining six dismissals on the second day to return with the surreal bowling figures of 10 for 119 in his 47.5 overs.
Ajaz was elated as he joined England's Jim Laker and India's Anil Kumble in the rare list of bowlers to claim a 10-wicket haul in a Test innings.
"Personally, it's one of the greatest cricketing days of my life and it probably will always be," Patel said at the end of the day.
"From the team's perspective, we put ourselves in a tough position. We have to front up tomorrow and work as hard as possible and see if we can turn the game around or eke out something special," he admitted.
It was such an astonishing achievement from Ajaz Patel that it will still take some time to sink in.
"After I came off the field, things happened too quickly. These things don't sink in until later. It's brilliant for me, my family and my wife. You spend a lot of time away from home as a cricketer and I'm just grateful to God for this occasion. It's very special for me."
He felt humbled to receive a tweet from Kumble, who welcomed Ajaz to the “perfect 10” club.
"Yeah, I remember his ten-for. I have seen highlights of that game plenty of times. Very illustrious group to be a part of. Great to see his message and his kind words. Humbled and fortunate to be in that company."
When asked if 10-for came to his mind during the early stages of the Indian inning, Patel replied: "No, not quite. I knew there was work to do. I wanted to get up on the honours board. I told myself yesterday that my name was going to be on the honours board but for it to happen was special."
There was a range of emotions that he felt when Rachin Ravindra went underneath the aerial ball at mid-on.
"It was a nervous time. We backed Rachin to take it but the ball wobbled and we were all nervous.
"I told Neil Wagner, during drinks, that I was more nervous now than I was all game. We don't have these moments as cricketers often. It was special that it came in Mumbai," the Mumbai-born cricketer said.
Ajaz Patel said he had no such discussions with any of his teammates when he was on the cusp of creating history after taking nine Indian wickets.
"No talk of that sort. It doesn't matter who gets the wickets. I would have been happy had I got nine and someone else took one. It was really about making sure we did our job."
(With PTI inputs)
