Ajaz had a damaged finger post Kanpur Test, reveals Dipak Patel

NZ’s Ajaz Patel during Day Two of second Test against India at Wankhede Stadium on Saturday. Pic/AFP

Dipak Patel has gone down in history as the New Zealand off-spinner whom captain Martin Crowe used as an opening bowler to torment trigger-happy batsmen in the 1992 World Cup. Now, he will also be famous for transforming Ajaz Patel from a fast bowler to a left-arm spinner.

Ajaz on Saturday became only the third bowler in the history of the game after England's Jim Laker and India's Anil Kumble to claim all 10 wickets in an innings.

"He [Ajaz] was very warm to it [the idea]. He decided to bowl spin and for a number of years, we worked closely," Dipak told The Sportstar earlier this month about the transformation, which took place more than 10 years ago when he was New Zealand's U-19 coach.

Dipak Patel

Dipak, 63, who has also coached Papua New Guinea, spoke to Sunday mid-day not long after Ajaz walked into the Wankhede Stadium dressing room after his 10 on 10 effort.

Also Read: Jogeshwari boy Ajaz Patel becomes third Test cricketer to take all 10 wickets

Edited excerpts from the interview:

How thrilled are you tonight?
I'm very thrilled and extremely proud of Ajaz. It's an amazing achievement and what makes it more special is the fact that he's achieved this in the first innings of a Test match, which is very, very unique (both Laker and Kumble got their 10 in the second innings).

Has Ajaz performed way beyond your expectations?
Not really. I am well aware of his abilities…no question about that. Whether he was going to bowl that well after such a long break
between Test series [was the concern]. To put things in perspective, he doesn't play Test cricket in New Zealand and he's got to wait for six to eight months before he gets another chance. When you put all these factors into perspective, what he's been able to achieve today is very special.

To take 10 in an innings against India, who are good players of spin, is more creditable...
Particularly in their country and conditions. Yes, we know the Indians are very good players of spin and to get 10 wickets when the opposition has scored 325 runs is still an amazing achievement.

Ajaz sent me a photograph of his finger on the last day of the previous Test [Monday] and he had the skin off his finger. He has done an amazing job to come back three days later and perform the way he has.

At the end of the day, a cricketer has to go out there and do it. Yet, being the coach who turned him into a spinner must make you feel great…
You are right…it's not about me, it's all about Ajaz. He's put in all the hard work and I just assisted him along the way over a number of years. At the end of the day, he has to go out there and perform. It's not just about his 10 wickets. Every time he has played for New Zealand he has proved to be a wicket-taker. Hopefully, this gives him impetus and that New Zealand start looking at bowling spinners in New Zealand if we want to keep developing quality spin bowlers.

Jim Laker and Anil Kumble, the two others who claimed 10 wickets in an innings, are all-time greats. Do you wish Ajaz becomes one?
Obviously, you'd want that, but Ajaz is only starting his career and I'm a big believer of spinners not maturing until they are in their 30s. He is performing at his prime, but how much Test cricket is he going to play in New Zealand is going to be the biggest challenge he will face. The Ashwins, the Jadejas bowl 25 to 30 per innings and as spinners we all know that it takes time to develop your art. Ajaz needs to be bowling lots and lots of overs in Test match cricket, in back-to-back Tests and this is the big challenge he will face if he wants to become one of the greats. It's very early in his career to start labelling him one of the greats, but look at what he's been able to do. Hopefully, New Zealand Cricket, the powers that be, particularly from a player perspective - the captain, coach - if they start to take a note of it, he can be a match-winner.

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