Reuters via RNZ
Auckland, December 5, 2021
The Indian Cricket Team took control of the second and final test against the Black Caps in Mumbai on December 4, despite Ajaz Patel’s historic feat of picking up all the ten wickets.
Please read that story here.
The Mumbai-born Patel became the third player in International Cricket to achieve the feat in an innings joining the ‘Club’ of England off-spinner Jim Laker and India leg-spinner Anil Kumble. But New Zealand could not stop the hosts from getting to 325 on the scoreboard.
In reply, New Zealand could bat only for a little over two hours before being bundled out for 62 Runs, conceding the first-innings lead of 263 Runs.
Aggressive Siraj rattles
India decided against enforcing the follow-on and then tightened their game by reaching 69 Runs for no loss in their second innings, stretching their overall lead to 332 runs at the close of the second day’s play.
Cheteshwar Pujara opened the batting in place of Shubman Gill, who suffered a blow to his right elbow while fielding at close-in and was unbeaten on 29 with Mayank Agarwal 38 not out. On a pitch offering plenty of assistance to the spin bowlers, India’s Mohammed Siraj, who was left out of the first test in Kanpur, bowled with aggression and pace with the new ball to rattle the touring side.
The fast bowler sent back New Zealand’s stand-in Captain Tom Latham, Will Young and the experienced Ross Taylor to reduce them to 17-3 in his opening spell. After Siraj’s initial blast, the top-ranked test side’s batters surrendered meekly to India’s spinners.
Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin picked up four wickets for eight runs as the New Zealand innings folded in just 28.1 overs.
Stylish, run-getting strokes
The hosts’ first innings total was built on a stroke-filled 150 from the opening batter, Agarwal.
Resuming on 221 for four, India lost two early wickets to Ajaz but kept accumulating runs on the second day of the test at the ground overlooking the Arabian Sea.
In his first over of the day the 33-year-old Patel, whose family immigrated to New Zealand in 1996, dismissed Wriddhiman Saha to complete his third five-wicket haul in Test innings and then had Ashwin bowled on his next delivery.
All-rounder Axar denied Patel the hat-trick and then combined in a 67-run stand for the seventh wicket with Agarwal to keep India on course towards a sizeable total.
The right-handed Agarwal, who hit 17 fours and four sixes, reached 150 with a cut shot off Patel but was caught behind on the next delivery. Axar was dismissed for 52 after notching up his maiden test half-century.
Special Innings: Ajaz Patel
Ajaz told reporters that Mayank played very well and that the innings were special.
“He got half the runs in the innings. Getting 150 on that wicket was not easy. It was cool for me to finally get him,” he said.
Patel finished with figures of 10-119 and walked off to a standing ovation from the sparse crowd and the Indian dressing room. Personally, it was one of the greatest cricketing days of my life and it probably will always be,” he said.
“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,” Patel added.
The opening Test in Kanpur ended in a thrilling draw, with New Zealand’s last batting pair hanging on in the final session to deny India victory.
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