New Zealand’s Mumbai-born left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel, who became only the third bowler in Test cricket history to take all 10 wickets in an innings, against India at the Wankhede Stadium recently, has revealed that he was actually under pressure while going for his final scalp. 

“To be honest, I was not thinking about it [10 wickets] at all until I got the ninth wicket [Jayant Yadav] because I was so long into my spell. As a spinner, you focus on one ball at a time and you don’t try to get too far ahead of yourself. So, my main focus was just to bowl the best ball that I can. Then [on dismissing Yadav off the second ball of the over] I realised that it would be a special achievement if I got all 10. So, there was a bit more pressure in the over with [India pacer Mohammed] Siraj facing. I felt I had to do it in the four balls left in that over,” Patel told mid-day during a virtual media interaction on Tuesday, when asked at what point did he feel that the 10-wicket feat was possible.