Ajaz claims record 10-for but India on top against New Zealand

New Zealand’s Mumbai-born spinner Ajaz Patel took a record 10 wickets in an innings but their batsmen collapsed to leave India in control of the second Test on Saturday’s day two.

Ajaz emulated England’s Jim Laker (1956 v Australia) and Indian spin legend Anil Kumble (1999 v Pakistan) to complete his perfect 10 in the second session and bowl out India for 325.

But New Zealand’s batsmen collapsed to 62 all out and India were 332 ahead by stumps at the Wankhede Stadium after not enforcing the follow-on and reaching 69 for 0 in their second innings.

First-innings centurion Mayank Agarwal, on 38, and Cheteshwar Pujara, on 29, made to open the innings after Shubman Gill suffered a blow to his elbow while fielding and could not take field, were batting.

Ajaz, who took four wickets on day one including Pujara and skipper Virat Kohli for ducks, rattled India in the first session with wickets in successive balls to be on a hat-trick.

Ajaz sent back Agarwal, who started the day on 120 with India on 221-4, to break a 67-run stand with Axar.

The wily spinner soon got Axar lbw and wrapped up the Indian innings with Siraj his final scalp as the Kiwi players surrounded their hero with hugs and applause.

He sent down 47.5 overs in four spells out of a Kiwi total of 109.5 and bowled almost unchanged on day two.

Ajaz returned figures of 10-119 but Agarwal’s 150 and a 52 by Axar Patel helped India to a challenging total on a turning track.

In the New Zealand innings Siraj, who replaced injured Ishant Sharma in the team, struck early to send back Will Young for four. He then got two wickets including stand-in-skipper Tom Latham for 10, and Ross Taylor, for one, on either side of overs to be on a hat-trick that was avoided by Henry Nicholls.

Kyle Jamieson top-scored with 17 but none of the Kiwi batsmen survived the bowling onslaught as they went down to the lowest-ever Test score against India by any side.

The previous lowest Test score in India was the home side’s 75 against West Indies at Delhi in 1987.