'Mumbai-born New Zealand-raised' Ajaz Patel enjoyed another memorable homecoming at the Wankhede Stadium, where New Zealand completed a Test series whitewash (3-0) of India on Sunday.
The left-arm spinner bagged the player-of-the-match award for his 11 wickets that powered New Zealand to a 25-run win to complete the clean sweep. New Zealand had won the Tests in Bengaluru and Pune.
At the end of the match on Day 3, the happy Patels -- Ajaz, his wife Nilofer, and their daughter -- posed for pictures on the Wankhede Ground. "Being back in Mumbai is always quite special, and it is a place I call home as well," Ajaz said pre-match. He had thanked the BCCI for including Wankhede in the series.
Ajaz lived in the city until he was eight before his parents, Yunus Patel, a businessman and Shahnaz, a school teacher, moved to New Zealand. While in Mumbai, young Ajaz lived in Jogeshwari and attended the Mount Mary School in Goregaon. Even after becoming a New Zealander, the Patels remained in touch with their home. His wife is also from Mumbai, and the city hosted their 'big fat Indian wedding' a few years ago.
While this historic Test win at the Wankhede will remain fresh in his memory, Ajaz can never forget another incredible performance he had at the venue three years ago. In December 2021, he bagged a historic ten-wicket-haul in an innings at the Wankhede, becoming only the third bowler after Jim Laker and Anil Kumble to achieve the feat. The memory of that homecoming must be bittersweet as New Zealand lost the match by 372 runs. But this time, it is extra sweet.
