10-wicket hero Ajaz Patel hopes to be the NZ sporting role model

Though Ajaz Patel’s feat of claiming all 10 wickets in a Test innings came in a losing cause, the impact of the New Zealand left-arm spinner’s performance has kind of relegated other details in the Mumbai Test to a side-show.

A day after the game ended at the Wankhede Stadium, Patel’s bowling remained the talking point.

Patel became the third bowler in Test history to take all the wickets in an innings on Saturday, emulating Jim Laker and Anil Kumble. Right from the first day when he took four wickets, he promised to take a big haul, such was the quality of his bowling and lack of support from the other end.

In a media interaction on Tuesday, Patel said: “To be honest, I wasn't thinking about it at all until I got the ninth wicket because I was so long into my spell. As a spinner you focus on one ball at a time, you try not to get too far ahead of yourself.”

With four balls left in his over after claiming the ninth wicket, Patel said he was determined to “just bowl four of the best balls I ever bowled”. He snapped up his 10th on the third delivery when Mohammed Siraj top-edged to be caught at mid-on.

Such feats are life-changing. Also, his Indian roots means he will be seen as a leader for New Zealand’s Asian community. For the affable cricketer, the biggest contribution will be to inspire cricketers to take up spin bowling in New Zealand where conditions encourage fast bowling.

“In terms of being a leader for the Asian community, every time you go out there, you’re hoping to be a role model for the new generation. For me, the biggest thing is being a spinner is one of the most difficult jobs while playing cricket in New Zealand. So, hopefully after my achievement, there’s gonna be more kids who would pick up the ball and want to become great spinners for New Zealand. I hope it inspires children from the Asian community, parents from Asian communities to say yes, there’s a pathway here. Yeah, I would love to be a role model to younger kids and by the end of my career.”

A devout Muslim, Patel shared the atmosphere of fear the community felt after the terror attacks at mosques in Christchurch in March, 2019 that resulted in the death of more than 50 people.

Patel recalled that he had returned from Friday prayers when news broke of the attack. “The terrorist attack had a huge impact on the Muslim community. It was a scary period. But the manner in which New Zealanders responded, our Prime Minister responded and all the community responded, I am grateful for the warmth and love we received as a Muslim community. In New Zealand, we are not judgmental. For instance, when my mother wears burqa while stepping out, there will be no whispers around. At the time of the attacks, our new home was under construction. Some of our would-be neighbours had seen my mother visiting the site, so they knew we were Muslims. They kept a plant in a pot at the entrance with the message “we support you and you are part of us”. The kind of harmonious atmosphere we have in New Zealand makes me certain we are one community.”

The Mumbai born has relatives in the city, many of whom came to watch him play. “I love chicken lollipop and feel schezwan sauce is India’s No. 1 food item. But on this tour, I have been conscious about my eating habits. So I don’t think I’ll have time for chicken lollipop this time around, but when I come for a vacation next time, I will make up for it.”

On the viral picture where Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja flank Patel and teammate Rachin Ravindra to form the names on their shirts as Axar, Patel, Ravindra and Jadeja, he said: “That photo speaks a lot about the sporting world and what sports can do. Sport has the ability to bring people together. So it was quite special to be able to take a photo like that. The beauty of that photo is it came through a few wise heads—our media guys back home and here and also myself and a few of the Indian guys, a lot of us thought on the same page and thought it would be a pretty cool photo.”