The last time Ajaz Patel was in India, in 2022, he had rocked Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium with a historic feat. He picked up all 10 Indian wickets in the first innings and ended the Test with a 14-wicket haul. A couple of years later, he’s returned to the country but the team ‘hosting’ them this time around is different. New Zealand are gearing up for a one-off Test against Afghanistan, starting September 9 in Greater Noida. It will be a first-ever face-off between the two nations in the longest format and Ajaz isn’t taking the Afghan unit lightly.
Addressing the media ahead of the team’s first training session on Friday, Ajaz admitted that coming back to India is ‘special’ but this time, the challenge would be different as they face Afghanistan at a venue where New Zealand haven’t played before.
“Yeah, I guess it’s always special to come back to India, especially after my last game here. And it’s a different challenge now. I guess you know, different surface, different place, different opposition. So, it’s just about looking at what’s in front of us and then assessing, what the wicket is doing and how it’s going to play,” Ajaz said on Friday afternoon.
“We have come up with a game plan. We know Afghanistan are a quality team and obviously they don’t have as much experience, but they’ll certainly put up a good fight and certainly grow from every experience that they get and have. So yeah, we’re not going to take them lightly and then, you know, there’s a lot of cricket to look forward to,” he added.
Ajaz made for sub-continent assignments?
Since his last visit to India, he has managed to play in just five more Tests with his last four Test appearances coming in the sub-continent spread across Pakistan and Bangladesh. In fact, out of 16 matches he has played so far since Test debut, 11 have been in Asia.
Ajaz’s track record indicates that he’s typically called up only for subcontinent tours, which can be frustrating at times. However, the left-arm spinner feels that these circumstances fuel a player’s hunger even more.
“If you ask all New Zealand spinners about it, it is difficult sometimes. You don’t get as many opportunities at home because of our home conditions but also, I guess, it breeds more hunger when you do come to conditions like this and you know conditions that are spin-friendly and you’re quite hungry to get out there and play, and put your best foot forward and perform. But you must prepare accordingly and prepare well. So, it’s just about going into these games and enjoying the conditions and making the most of it,” he added.
‘Remodelled my run-up, looked to grow myself’
It’s a bitter truth that despite bagging a 10-wicket haul against a team like India, Ajaz has struggled to cement his place in the Test team. It has obviously been disappointing for the 35-year-old but in the meantime, he’s worked on his bowling techniques to deliver the best in those limited opportunities.
“After the 10 wickets, you’re a little bit disappointed because you don’t get as many opportunities but at the same time as a player, it’s still about growing your game. I’ve kind of somewhat remodelled my run-up and look to grow myself and try and get better. So, it’s always about improving making sure that you’re ready whenever that next opportunity comes and putting your hand up,” Ajaz said.
‘Not Getting Too Far Ahead’
After the Afghanistan assignment, the Kiwis will return to India next month for a three-match Test series against Rohit Sharma & Co. But right now, as Ajaz said, the Tim Southee-led unit is focusing on the one-off fixture against the Afghans.
“To be honest currently we’ve got one game against Afghanistan. That’s the most important game right now. And then I guess once that game is over, we’ll look at Sri Lanka and then once those two games are over, we’ll look at India. I think it’s really important, like as players we don’t get too far ahead of ourselves. We have a task in front of us right now and we have to make sure that we’re ready for that. And then I guess, we can take care of the India stuff,” he said.
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