Patel had a history-making 10-wicket haul against India at Wankhede the last time he played here. He has once again put the Black Caps in a tremendous position on the same turf. But the man leading New Zealand’s ambitions for a whitewash at lunch on this decisive day has played just 9 Tests since that massive feat, that places him behind England’s Jim Laker (10/53 in 1956) and India’s Anil Kumble (10/74 in 1999) on the list of the most perfect Test bowling figures in the game’s history.

Just 9 Tests for the Black Caps after 10-wicket historic haul. What is the mystery behind these sparse appearances? It is in fact smart, curated, bespoke selections by the New Zealand selectors, where the bowling packs get picked specifically for particular conditions. For a country with just 70,000 registered cricketers in total, the Kiwis have relied on clever matching of skill-set with personnel.

Even Glenn Philips, shuffled his armoury, to start bowling much more, and spin at that, planning way ahead of the India series, NZ Stuff.com had earlier said.

New Zealand Herald reports that across his 20-Test career, Patel has never taken a wicket playing at home. With pitches back home naturally favouring pacers, NZ have been ruthless in their selections, even if it meant not including their ace spinner.

On Sunday, he admitted to maxing his luck. “Sometimes when you find yourself in rhythm, you make the most of it,” he would say later. Yet things had looked like slipping away on Saturday morning with Gill in full flow. “To be honest I felt confident in the morning session. But post lunch, the ball started turning more and I started using my guile and shape much better,” he said.

Yet, Rishabh Pant posed him headaches. “He’s the one who puts most pressure on us, and we know that. We always have to think outside of the box to counter him,” he admitted.

Patel, born in Mumbai who shifted down under, has however bought into the low-key approach typical to Kiwis, despite his December 2021 heroics. “To be honest, I don’t think (my life) has changed too much. It’s still very much the same. I guess after the 10-for, I haven’t had as many opportunities to play. When you do get an opportunity to play, it is very special. You never take it for granted,” he was quoted by Herald.

However Patel has made easy peace with being the man summoned exclusively for subcontinent assignments but not necessarily being fielded at ‘home’ in New Zealand. “I guess I get recognised a little bit more here and there. The craze for the sport (in New Zealand) is probably not the same as India. New Zealand is a massive sporting nation. We love our sport, everyone gets around every sport. It’s a small place, but we like to achieve beyond our means,” he added.

But Patel savoured his return to the scene of his history-making 10-wicket haul and match figures of 14/225, which was emotional. “Being back in Mumbai is always quite special. It’s a place I call home as well. Having the opportunity to play here again is special. To be honest, after my 10-for, I wasn’t sure if I’d get another opportunity to play here again in my career,” he said.

Patel in fact thanked the BCCI for scheduling a match in Mumbai. “I’m very grateful that the BCCI have scheduled a game here, and I get to be back home again for a little while.”

When picked and unleashed on subcontinental conditions, Ajaz Patel has delivered giving New Zealand their first ever series win against India, first for any touring team in 12 years