Stars aligned for me to do it in Mumbai: Ajaz Patel

Mumbai: “The stars have aligned for me to do it in Mumbai,” New Zealand spinner Ajaz Patel said Saturday said after achieving the rare feat of scalping all 10 batters in an innings at the city of his birth.

The 33-year-old Patel, who had migrated to New Zealand from Mumbai with his parents back in 1996, ended the Indian innings with figures of 47.5-12-119-10 to equal England great Jim Laker and Indian legend Anil Kumble, who had earlier achieved the rarest of rare feat in Test cricket.

“Honestly, it’s surreal and to be able to do that in my career is pretty special. The stars have aligned for me to do it in Mumbai,” Patel said after his feat.

“Quite a special occasion for me and not just me but my family. Unfortunately for me, they’re not here because of Covid. I’m in very illustrious company with Kumble sir as well.”

Asked which scalp out of the 10 was special, he said, “Not anyone in particular and just trying to be repetitive and ask questions of batters.’

New Zealand suffered a batting collapse after India folded their first innings at 325 and Patel admitted that it was not a great batting show from his side.