Since the time New Zealand left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel has taken a 10-wicket haul in one innings against India and has become the third bowler in test history and the first after Anil Kumble to achieve this dream feat in the 5-day format of the game, the congratulatory messages have been pouring in from all around the world and the former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi was the one to congratulate Ajaz as well, earlier today on Twitter.
Shahid Afridi was actually playing in that test match where Anil Kumble got 10 wickets in the second innings against Pakistan and spun India to a famous victory in Delhi. Pakistan were set a target of more than 400 runs in the 4th innings which was never going to be easy, but Afridi and Saeed Anwar actually added 100 runs for the first wicket, which started a few murmurs if the Pakistan team could do something unthinkable.
But, once Anil Kumbe got on a roll, and he got the first wicket of Afridi, he was just unstoppable as he cleaned up the whole Pakistan batting line up in one spell itself. It was a long spell where the leggie bowled 20 overs, but he was getting wickets so frequently that the captain just didn’t take him off and he got the game done in a couple of hours.
Shahid Afridi was actually the only Pakistan batsman who was impressive right through that Delhi test match where the pitch was not easy for batting. Pakistan were bowled out for 172 in their first innings in the game, before being completely rolled over by Kumble in the second innings. Afridi had scores of 32 and 41 to his name in the two innings.
Shahid Afridi mentioned the Delhi test match in his congratulatory tweet to Ajaz Patel
In his congratulatory tweet to Ajaz, Afridi even mentioned that Delhi game saying he still remembers the spell bowled by Kumble and he was on his way to score a hundred in the second innings when the umpire gave him out, caught behind to Kumble.
Great work Ajaz!! Congratulations on a wonderful feat, I still have some memories of the 1999 Delhi Test – outstanding spell by Kumble, I was going to score my second 100 when I was given out 😀 #INDvzNZ
Advertisement— Shahid Afridi (@SAfridiOfficial) December 4, 2021
Ajaz Patel’s 10-fer was, however, not backed by a solid performance by the New Zealand batsmen in Mumbai as the Blackcaps were bundled out for just 62 runs in the first innings by India’s rampant bowling attack and Ajaz had to be back there bowling in the third session of the second day again.
Since he had already bowled close to 50 overs in the first innings, Ajaz looked visibly tired and he was not getting the same sort of fizz off the track in the second innings that he was getting in the first innings.