Following New Zealand’s historic whitewash victory over India on their home turf, spinner Ajaz Patel shared insights on the match, particularly the pitch conditions and his strategy against wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant. Patel, who claimed a remarkable ten-wicket haul, played a crucial role in securing a 25-run victory in the third Test, marking the first-ever whitewash by a visiting team in India in a Test series of three or more matches.
Pitch Conditions and Bowling Strategy
In his post-match presentation, Ajaz noted that the pitch became increasingly favorable for spin bowling after the morning session on day two. “I felt confident in the morning session as well, but the pitch didn’t offer me a lot in terms of spin. The period after lunch, it turned a lot more, and it helped me to use my guile and vary the pace. I just tried to keep it simple, keep the shape of the ball in the air and be ahead of the batters,” he explained.
When asked if he would take a part of the Wankhede Stadium pitch home with him, he responded, “Not yet, but that is a great idea. Spin bowling is about rhythm. When you are in such a rhythm, you have to make the most of it. When the conditions present themselves, you’ve got to take it by the horns and do something about it.”
Battling Rishabh Pant
Ajaz also spoke about his battle with Rishabh Pant, who had been a formidable opponent throughout the series. “He has batted phenomenally in the series and put us under pressure throughout,” Ajaz remarked. “I knew if I just bowled good balls at him, he would come out and hit me out of the park. So, I had to think outside the box and come up with a different plan against him.”
Despite his success, Patel noted that he would not be visiting Jogeshwari, his birthplace in the Mumbai suburb, this time around.
Match Summary
Pant was the standout performer for India, scoring 261 runs across three innings at an average of 43.80, with a strike rate of 89.38, including three fifties and a top score of 99. During the chase of 147 runs, India found themselves in a precarious position at five wickets down for just 29 runs. However, a resilient half-century from Pant (64 runs off 57 balls) kept the team in contention. Unfortunately for India, they ultimately collapsed, bowled out for 121 runs.
Ajaz finished the match with impressive figures of 6/57, while Glenn Phillips contributed with 3/42, taking crucial wickets at key moments. Earlier in the match, New Zealand struggled in their first innings, being bowled out for 174 runs, with Ravindra Jadeja leading the Indian attack with a five-wicket haul (5/55).
In their first innings, India took a narrow 28-run lead, recovering from 84/4 thanks to a 96-run partnership between Shubman Gill and Pant. Gill scored a notable 90 runs off 146 balls, supported by Washington Sundar’s quickfire 38 not out.
Final Scores
In summary, the final scores were: India: 263 and 121 (Rishabh Pant 64; Ajaz Patel 6/57) lost to New Zealand: 235 and 174 (Will Young 51; Ravindra Jadeja 5/55).