New Zealand's Ajaz claims record 10-for but India on top in second Test

New Zealand's Ajaz Patel celebrates with his teammates after taking the wicket of India's Mohammed Siraj
AFP

New Zealand's Mumbai-born spinner Ajaz Patel took a record 10 wickets in an innings but their batsmen collapsed to leave India in control of the second Test on Saturday's day two.

Ajaz emulated England's Jim Laker (1956 v Australia) and Indian spin legend Anil Kumble (1999 v Pakistan) to complete his perfect 10 in the second session and bowl out India for 325.

But New Zealand's batsmen collapsed to 62 all out and India were 332 ahead by stumps at the Wankhede Stadium after not enforcing the follow-on and reaching 69 for 0 in their second innings.

First-innings centurion Mayank Agarwal, on 38, and Cheteshwar Pujara, on 29, made to open the innings after Shubman Gill suffered a blow to his elbow while fielding and could not take the field, were batting.

Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin claimed four wickets and fast bowler Mohammed Siraj took three in the New Zealand innings on a day when Ajaz ruled with his left-arm spin.

"Personally I think it's one of the greatest cricketing days of my life and probably will always be," Ajaz told reporters.

"From the team perspective it's obviously tough. But we still have more Test cricket left. We got to make sure we front up tomorrow and scrap as much as we can.

"We are on the backfoot, but we got to come back here tomorrow and make sure we work as hard as possible to see how we can turn this game around or eke out something special."

Ajaz, who took four wickets on day one including Pujara and skipper Virat Kohli for ducks, rattled India in the first session with wickets in successive balls to be on a hat-trick.

Ajaz sent back Agarwal, who started the day on 120 with India on 221-4, to break a 67-run stand with Axar.

The wily spinner soon got Axar lbw and wrapped up the Indian innings with Siraj his final scalp as the Kiwi players surrounded their hero with hugs and applause.

He sent down 47.5 overs in four spells out of a Kiwi total of 109.5 and bowled almost unchanged on day two.

Siraj swings it

"Ajaz really bowled well. It was extraordinary bowling by him. My plan was to put pressure on him but unfortunately I got out," said Siraj, who later returned figures of 3-19 from his four overs.

Ajaz returned figures of 10-119 but Agarwal's 150 and a 52 by Axar Patel helped India to a challenging total on a turning track.

In the New Zealand innings Siraj, who replaced injured Ishant Sharma in the team, struck early to send back Will Young for four.

He then got two wickets including stand-in skipper Tom Latham for 10, and Ross Taylor, for one, on either side of overs to be on a hat-trick that was avoided by Henry Nicholls.

"After I got injured (in the first New Zealand Twenty20 last month), when I started training, I did a lot of single wicket bowling with an aim to get as much swing as possible," said Siraj.

"That was my focus and when I would get the chance in a Test match, I had to consistently hit one area and that's what will help me build my rhythm."

Axar then got Daryl Mitchell out for eight and soon fellow spinner Ashwin joined in to claim Nicholls as the Kiwis slipped further.

Kyle Jamieson top-scored with 17 but none of the Kiwi batsmen survived the bowling onslaught as they went down to the lowest-ever Test score against India by any side.

The previous lowest Test score in India was the home side's 75 against the West Indies in Delhi in 1987.