New Zealand left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel corrected one of Test cricket’s most unusual statistical quirks, finally taking his first Test wicket at home after a record-breaking wait.
Ajaz Patel takes world record off Jasprit Bumrah
The Kiwi began the third Test against West Indies in third place on the all-time wickets list among his country’s spinners, with 85 in 21 Tests. But, uniquely, all 85 of those had come outside of his home nation. He broke the record of Jasprit Bumrah, who had taken 79 wickets before his first Test at home.
Why had it taken Patel so long to take a Test wicket at home?
New Zealand is established as one of the toughest places to bowl spin, and with Patel’s career coinciding with a time of seam-bowling strength for the Blackcaps, his opportunities at home have been limited, with Mitchell Santner and Glenn Phillips often preferred as spin-bowling all-rounders. The ongoing game at the Bay Oval is just his fourth Test at home, having made his debut over seven years ago.
Ajaz Patel’s notable Test feats
In the meantime, Patel has contributed heavily to some of New Zealand’s most famous Test results and achieved some of their most stunning feats. His maiden series came in the UAE against Pakistan, where he was a key figure in a 2-1 series win, making New Zealand one of just two sides to conquer Pakistan’s adopted fortress in the 2010s. In particular, his 5-59 in the fourth innings on debut, including the last two wickets to fall, sealed a four-run win, one of the narrowest in Test cricket history.
He has also contributed outside of Asia, taking four wickets at Edgbaston in 2021 as New Zealand beat England to claim a 1-0 series win, the only time England have been bested at home in the last decade.
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Undoubtedly however Patel’s proudest moments have come in Mumbai, the city of his birth. In 2021 he claimed 10 wickets in an innings, the only such instance in New Zealand’s Test history, and while his side lost that game, he was pivotal in a famous win three years later. Coming into the team with the series already won, Patel’s 11 wickets sealed a 25-run victory, with the Blackcaps’ 3-0 whitewash of India instantly rated as one of Test cricket’s most stunning series results.
The long wait comes to an end
And in all that time, a home Test wicket eluded him. A chance to settle in for a lengthy spell on a batting-friendly wicket against West Indies presented the perfect opportunity, but it still took time for the scalp to come. It wasn’t until Patel’s 17th over, the 72nd of the innings, that he beat Alick Athanaze’s attempted aggressive shot and found the stumps via a ricochet off the pads.
And having had to wait seven years for his first home wicket, a second followed soon after, Roston Chase pinned lbw. There is still plenty of work to do in the game, with West Indies 381-6 in response to New Zealand’s 575-8d at the end of the third day, Kavem Hodge set to resume unbeaten on 109.
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