[In Pictures] Ajaz Patel performs ‘Umrah’ in Mecca after New Zealand's historic Test series win in India
New Zealand spinner Ajaz Patel performed ‘Umrah’ in Mecca following a memorable Test series in India. Umrah is an Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, the holy city for Muslims, located in Saudi Arabia.
Sharing the pictures on Instagram, Patel captioned the post:
“Allhamdulillah! What a way to end this trip! Hope to return soon Inshallah!”
Take a look:
Notably, Ajaz Patel returned as the leading wicket-taker for the Kiwis in the three-match Test series in India. The left-arm spinner picked up two consecutive fifers in the third Test in Mumbai, his birthplace, as New Zealand completed a 3-0 sweep over India.
No overseas player has more wickets at Wankhede than Patel (25 wickets in two Tests, including 10/119 in 2021). The 36-year-old had also scalped eight wickets during the two-match Test series in Sri Lanka.
“Be ahead of the batters” – Ajaz Patel after yet another dream outing in Mumbai
Ajaz Patel shed light on his bowling following his 11 wickets in the third Test in Mumbai as the Kiwis defended 146, winning the game by 25 runs. He said (via Cricbuzz):
“Spin bowling is about rhythm. When you're in such a rhythm, you'll have to make the most of it. When the conditions present themselves, you got to take it by the horns and do something about it. I just tried to keep it simple, keep the shape of the ball in the air and be ahead of the batters.”
Ajaz further spoke about the relevance of Rishabh Pant, whose wicket brought them back in the low-scoring affair. He said:
“(On his battle against Pant) He's batted phenomenally in the series and he put us under pressure throughout the series. I knew if I just bowled good balls at him, he will come out and hit me out of the park. So, I had to think out of the box and come up with a different plan against him.”
Ajaz Patel has scalped 85 wickets in 21 Tests, including six five-wicket hauls in Asia. He has 387 wickets in 107 first-class career.
New Zealand will next host England in a three-match Test series in November-December. Ajaz is usually ignored in home Tests due to pace-friendly conditions.