New Zealand spinner Ajaz Patel has set a new record by taking the most wickets by a visiting bowler at a single venue in India. The left-arm spinner now holds the record for the most wickets by any overseas bowler on one ground in India.
The 36-year-old reached this milestone during the third and final Test between India and New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday (November 3).
With 25 wickets at this iconic stadium, Ajaz surpassed England’s Ian Botham, who previously held the record with 22 wickets at the same venue.
Australia’s Richie Benaud sits in third place with 18 wickets at Eden Gardens, while West Indies’ Courtney Walsh follows with 17 at the Wankhede Stadium. Benaud also appears on the list again with 16 wickets at Chennai’s Nehru Stadium.
Most wickets by a visiting bowler at a single venue in India:
- Ajaz Patel at Wankhede: 25
- Ian Botham at Wankhede: 22
- Richie Benaud at Eden Gardens: 18
- Courtney Walsh at Wankhede: 17
- Richie Benaud at Chennai: 16
Ajaz has also joined an exclusive group of New Zealand bowlers by becoming only the third from his country to record multiple ten-wicket hauls in matches. Only Richard Hadlee (9) and Daniel Vettori (3) have achieved this before him.
Ajaz also becomes the second bowler to take multiple ten-wicket hauls in India, following Pakistan’s Saqlain Mushtaq during their 1999 tour. Additionally, Ajaz is now the third New Zealand spinner to claim two five-wicket hauls in a single Test.
Among New Zealand spinners, Daniel Vettori had achieved two five-wicket hauls twice—against Australia in Auckland in 2000 with figures of 5/62 and 7/87, and against Bangladesh in Chattogram in 2004 with 6/70 and 6/100.
Recently, Mitchell Santner took 7/53 and 6/104 against India in the Pune Test. Now, Ajaz joins this elite list with his own impressive figures of 5/103 and 5/52 at the Wankhede.
In a historic moment this Test marked the first time a left-arm spinner has taken five wickets across four innings. Ravindra Jadeja led with 5/65 in the first inning, followed by Ajaz’s 5/103 in the second. In the third innings, Jadeja struck again with 5/55, while Ajaz completed the fourth inning with another six-wicket haul.
