Ajaz Patel celebrates a wicket against the West Indies at Bay Oval. Photo / Photosport
By Ajaz Patel’s own admission, a first home test wicket had been a long time coming - 2562 days, to be exact.
But on day three of the third test against the West Indies, Patel could finally celebrate on the soil of his adopted home country.
Since his debut in late 2018, the 37-year-old career has taken easily one of the most unique paths perhaps ever seen in Kiwi sport.
While his place in New Zealand’s XI overseas - especially in the subcontinent - has effectively been guaranteed, the balance of the Black Caps’ best side at home has seen him sidelined.
The seaming conditions that played such a huge part in this being the most successful era of New Zealand cricket have left Patel with few opportunities to take the field on Kiwi soil.
Prior to taking the field at Mt Maunganui, just four of his 21 tests had been played in New Zealand, while all 85 of Patel’s test wickets had come abroad.
But as Bay Oval’s groundstaff delivered a pitch that the Black Caps expect will assist spin on day five, Patel’s chance to right that wrong came.
And when Alick Athanaze somehow kicked a ball onto his own stumps, the drought was over, before Patel trapped rival captain Roston Chase LBW later in the day for good measure, and leave the field with figures of 2-94.
One day out from the start of the test, Black Caps skipper Tom Latham asserted Patel’s record wasn’t discussed in the team at all. But, for the man himself, that wasn’t the case.
“To be honest, I don’t care how it comes, it was [about] getting the first one out the way,” Patel said. “In all honesty, I was probably more nervous about that one than any other in my career.
“It’s been a long time coming, but it’s quite special to finally have a wicket at home. It’s definitely not something that’s talked about in the team. Everyone else probably knew it would come at some point.
“But for me, once that was out of the way, I could focus solely on the game and not have that in the back of my mind.”
Part of what makes Patel’s lack of home success so incredible is the fact that he has proven to be a match-winner overseas.
From India, to Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and even the UAE, Patel has put in decisive performances, and helped the Black Caps to some of the most memorable victories in New Zealand’s history.
In 2021, he became only the third bowler in the history of the sport to take all 10 wickets in a test innings, when he returned 10-119 in his hometown of Mumbai, as part of a match haul of 14-225.
And even though New Zealand lost that test - heavily - Patel’s display with the ball will only go down in legend. Only Sir Richard Hadlee, 15-123, has returned better figures for a Kiwi.
But asked which of sitting on no wickets in Tauranga or nine wickets in Mumbai had more of an impact on his nerves, Patel made no secret of the impact the wait has had on him.
“I think the none-for out there has been playing on my head a lot more, because it’s been a lot longer that I’ve had to think about it,” he professed.
“The nine in Mumbai, it was like ‘we’ve got nine, we have five balls to get 10 otherwise something’s going to happen at the other end’.
“This one’s been a little bit more rewarding as well, in some sense. Having played so much first-class cricket in New Zealand, and having taken so many wickets in New Zealand, it’s nice to go out and do that on the international stage as well.”
Personal milestones aside, though, Patel knows he still has a job to do. After three days of the third test, New Zealand hold a 194-run lead over the West Indies.
The tourists will resume on day four at 381-6, and look to whittle down the hosts’ advantage, with Kavem Hodge unbeaten on 109.
The Black Caps, meanwhile, need to wrap up the tourists’ innings as quickly as they can, and build a lead they can defend on day five.
And with the pitch continuing to deteriorate, with the third session on day three already seeing the ball start to misbehave, Patel relishes his chance to be the man to seal a test win - the exact reason he was picked to play, 10 minutes before the toss on day one.
“It’d be fantastic, as a spinner you thrive on that. That’s what your job is as a spinner.
“On day five, if the wicket is giving you that assistance, the responsibility comes on you to make sure you get the team across the line. It’s a challenge I cherish, and a challenge you get up for as a spinner.
“Then, [there’s] the awesome opportunity to be able to do that in New Zealand, and say ‘we can do it in New Zealand as well’ is pretty exciting, as a spinner.”
Alex Powell is a sports journalist for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016.