Ajaz Patel puts team first, says he would have been happy with even nine wickets

(Source: Twitter)

NZ spinner Ajaz Patel, who picked a ten-wicket haul in first innings of the second Test, said that he received a message from Anil Kumble and felt pretty cool to have got the message.

Kumble had achieved the same feat in 1999 against Pakistan at Feroz Shah Kotla.  

"After I came off the field, things happened pretty quickly. Brilliant moment for my family, for parents and wife. To be able to produce is special."

"I have seen highlights of Kumble's ten wickets. Great to be in such a company. It was cool to see his message. Very, very humble to be in such company," said Ajaz. 

"I really wanted to get to my name on honours board,. very special and cool that my name is goin to be there."

He also said there was no talk with other bowlers to bowl badly so that he could pick up his tenth wicket and get to the record. He said, "Nothing of that sort (Srinath bowling wide to get Kumble his 10th wicket in Delhi in 1999), it is always team first, I would have been happy with nine wickets and someone else picking up the last wicket."

"I am not gonna lie about it. It is special for me. I met my family, my mom and dad, wife. It`s neither easy being a cricketer, spending a lot of time away from home," said Ajaz Patel during a virtual press conference.

"Coming back home to Mumbai, to Wankhede and producing something like this is quite special. I am grateful to God that he blessed me with such an occasion," he added.

Talking about Day 2, the spinner said he is hopeful that his side will turn up the game and achieve victory.

"This is what makes Test cricket so exciting. Things can flip very quickly. It just takes one session to change the match, so we are still in the game and have the second innings to go and will be looking forward to tomorrow`s game," said Ajaz Patel.

Coming to the match, it was a wicket galore at the Wankhede Stadium on Day 2 as India and New Zealand bowlers scalped 16 wickets in total after which hosts find themselves on the top of the ongoing second Test here at Mumbai.

After the end of Day 2 play, India`s score in the second innings read 69/0 with Mayank Agarwal and Cheteshwar Pujara unbeaten on the field with innings of 38* and 29* respectively. Hosts now lead Kiwis by 332.