It's rare for an overseas bowler to come to India and truly dominate a venue, but New Zealand spinner Ajaz Patel has done it twice. The Wankhede Stadium has witnessed the very best of Ajaz, who, at 36, has claimed 25 wickets in just two Test matches there. In the recently concluded third and final Test against India, he secured an 11-wicket match haul, making him the most successful overseas bowler at a single venue in India. This remarkable feat surpassed England's Sir Ian Botham, who had taken 22 wickets in two Tests at the iconic Wankhede Stadium.

In 2021, Patel became only the third bowler in Test cricket history, after Jim Laker and Anil Kumble, to take all ten wickets in a single innings – a feat he achieved at the Wankhede Stadium. Riding high on New Zealand’s historic 3-0 whitewash over India, Ajaz reflected on his performance, the subtle adjustments to his bowling that turned Wankhede into his favourite hunting ground and his memorable battle with Rishabh Pant.

"So, from Mumbai and Pune, I guess Pune the surface was a bit slower, so I really had to bowl a lot quicker through the air. So I think, at the same time, we look at the speeds in Pune, were probably a little bit quicker, and probably used a little bit more side spin in Pune to make sure you could, you know, rush the batsmen a little bit in terms of pace," Ajaz said, while responding to a Hindustan Times query, during a select media interaction.

"In Mumbai, I knew that with the red clay and the bounce that you're going to get off the surface, I could afford to bowl a little bit slower, but use what is one of my strengths, is my shape in the air, and use that to my advantage. So I was looking to get a bit more overspin, and bowl a touch slower to most of the batters," he added.

'Great battle with Rishabh'

Among all the Indian batters, only Rishabh Pant stood tall on Day 3 of the Mumbai Test, finding ways to handle Patel's bowling effectively. The left-hander enjoyed a favourable match-up against Ajaz, launching the spinner to all corners of the ground. So, what was Pant doing differently that set him apart from the rest of the Indian lineup? Here’s what Ajaz thinks.

"Yeah, I guess one thing that helped Rishabh was the fact that he was left-handed and the ball was turning in. But at the same time, I wouldn't say, like, the other batters were overly attacking, but at the same time, I guess the difference with Rishabh was, one, I guess he was the man in form, and he was the man that was probably seeing the ball better than most people throughout this whole series, At the same time, I guess he just used the right options at the right time – whether it was running down the wicket to a certain ball or sitting back to a different ball," said Ajaz, while answering a Hindustan Times question about what Rishabh Pant did differently than the other Indian batters," said Ajaz.

"I had a great battle with him in this Mumbai Test, where when he was trying to run down, I was getting quicker and flatter, and then once I started slowing him up, knowing that he was in the crease, he then started going back and using that to his advantage. It changed me to then have to start bowling quicker again, and those kind of things. As a bowler and a batsman, that you start to think about and really get into the game, and that little bit of cat and mouse between the batter and the bowler, and I guess that's something that he did really well. He read the conditions, and he read, I guess, you know, the style of play that he needed for those conditions, and he batted differently in all the games, to be fair," he added.

Pant stood out as a lone warrior in the second innings, smashing 60 off 59 balls – India's only noteworthy individual score. He played fearlessly, striking the ball both with and against the spin, and as long as he remained at the crease, India's hopes in the chase stayed alive despite the steady fall of wickets around him. His past heroics with the bat have garnered widespread admiration, even from opposing players. Ajaz is now the latest to join the chorus of praise for Pant's remarkable game.

"Like in Bangalore, he took his time and picked the right balls. In Pune, he watched Mitch, knowing that there was a bit more at that end, and then when it came to my end. He looked to make the most of it, because I probably wasn't getting as much turn. And then in Mumbai, he looked to kind of take advantage when I was going with a certain plan and use that to his advantage. So yeah, the man's a very, very good cricketer. He's a special cricketer, and, you know, anytime you're up against him, you got to watch out, because if he's in form, it's going to be real challenge."

New Zealand became the only team to whitewash India in a Test series on Indian soil after ages. The visitors were at their very best, dominating India even in their own spin-friendly conditions. So where does Ajaz Patel place this historic series whitewash in New Zealand cricket history?

"Yeah, it's massive for us, I mean, coming to India, and winning the series is huge. We look back at the Bangalore test, which wasn't too long ago, and it was the first time we'd won in about 36 years in India. To then walk away with a series win, and the style of cricket that we've played, and how we've gone about it has been very, special. It's certainly going to be one of the greatest series that I've ever been a part of, and I'm sure for a New Zealand touring team, it's going to be right up there as well," Ajaz said.

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