Ajaz Patel is on a record-spree in the second Test of the series against India in Mumbai. After a historic second day of the Test where the left-arm spinner became the only third player in the history of Test cricket to take 10 wickets in an innings, Patel achieved another huge landmark on Day 3.
The New Zealand spinner has registered the best bowling figures against India in Test cricket. He followed up his 10-wicket haul with four wickets in the second Test, ending with overall match figures of 14/227. Ajaz bowled 73.5 overs throughout the game.
The Kiwi spinner broke Ian Botham's 41-year-old record for the incredible feat. Incidentally, the English all-rounder also achieved the record in Mumbai, where he took 13 wickets throughout the two innings, while conceding 106 runs.
Best match bowling figure against India
14/225 Ajaz Patel (NZ), Mumbai 2021
13/106 Ian Botham (ENG), Mumbai 1980
12/70, Steve O'Keefe (AUS), Pune 2017
12/94, Fazal Mahmood (PAK), Lucknow 1952
Ajaz Patel opened the wicket-taking for New Zealand in the second innings as well, getting the breakthrough in the first session with an important wicket of previous innings' centurion Mayank Agarwal. He then removed Shubman Gill before fellow spinner Rachin Ravindra eventually ended Ajaz's wicket-taking streak in the game.
Patel took four wickets in the second innings, ending with figures of 4/106.
{{/usCountry}}Patel took four wickets in the second innings, ending with figures of 4/106.
{{/usCountry}}Best bowling figures for New Zealand
15/123 Richard Hadlee v AUS 1985
14/225 Ajaz Patel v IND 2021
12/149 Daniel Vettori v AUS 2000
12/170 Daniel Vettori v BAN 2004
These are also the second-best figures by a New Zealand bowler in the history of Test cricket. The record is currently held by the great Richard Hadlee, who took 15 wickets in a game against Australia in 1985.