Hosts India hammer top-ranked New Zealand to win Test series
Dec 6, 2021: The Mumbai-born New Zealand spinner Ajaz Patel took 10 wickets in the first innings as India beat New Zealand by 372 runs on Monday to win the second Test match.
Indian spinner Ravi Chandran Ashwin took eight wickets and the hosts won the two-match series 1-0. Top-ranked New Zealand, who started the fourth day at 140-5 in pursuit of their unbeaten 540, were all out for 167 before lunch in Mumbai. Ajaz, a left-arm spinner named after his best 10 on the Wankhede Honors board on Saturday, stood out with match figures of 14-225 – the best ever by a bowler against India.
But New Zealand, who were hoping for a draw were let down because of their batting. The was all out for 62 in their first innings and were never in the chase after India’s spin force ravaged the batting.
Ashwin, who struck three times in the final session on day three, sent back overnight batsman Henry Nicholls stumped for 44 as the final wicket to record his 300th scalp on home soil.
Jaitley Yadav bowled Rachna Ravindra for 18, then hit twice in one over and returned a career-best 4-49.
Daryl Mitchell, who top-scored with 60, was the only bit of resistance for the visitors during his fourth-wicket stand of 73 with Nicholls on Sunday.
Indian opener Mayank Agarwal made 150 in India’s first-innings total of 325 and then top-scored with 62, with the hosts declaring at 276-7 on day three.
Ajaz was the only performer for world number one ranked New Zealand, who became world Test champions after defeating India in the title race in June.
His 14 wickets against India surpassed that of England pacer Ian Botham’s 13-106 in Mumbai in 1980. In the first innings, Ajaz’s 10-119 put him in an elite company with two other bowlers, including England’s Jim Laker (1956 vs. Australia) and India’s Anil Kumble (1999 vs. Pakistan).
Though his effort was part of a losing fight he nevertheless had a memorable homecoming including taking the big wickets of Cheteshwar Pujara and home skipper Virat Kohli — who returned to the team after he stepped down as national Twenty20 captain and had a short break — for ducks.
The 33-year-old Ajaz, who moved to Auckland from Mumbai with his parents in 1996, has claimed 43 wickets for New Zealand in 11 matches since making his debut in 2018.
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