{"id":167112,"date":"2024-11-03T10:21:08","date_gmt":"2024-11-03T10:21:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2024\/11\/03\/he-put-us-under-pressure-new-zealand-spinner-ajaz-patel-on-battle-with-rishabh-pant-cricket-news-times-of-india\/"},"modified":"2024-11-03T10:21:08","modified_gmt":"2024-11-03T10:21:08","slug":"he-put-us-under-pressure-new-zealand-spinner-ajaz-patel-on-battle-with-rishabh-pant-cricket-news-times-of-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2024\/11\/03\/he-put-us-under-pressure-new-zealand-spinner-ajaz-patel-on-battle-with-rishabh-pant-cricket-news-times-of-india\/","title":{"rendered":"‘He put us under pressure’: New Zealand spinner Ajaz Patel on battle with Rishabh Pant | Cricket News – Times of India"},"content":{"rendered":"
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NEW DELHI: After securing a historic whitewash against India on their home turf, New Zealand’s Ajaz Patel<\/a> discussed how the pitch behaviour changed post-morning session on day two, enabling him to utilise his variations and pace effectively. He also shared insights about his strategic battle with Rishabh Pant<\/a> whilst defending 147 runs.
At Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, Ajaz delivered another remarkable performance, claiming ten wickets to guide New Zealand to a 25-run victory in the third Test. This achievement marked the first-ever series whitewash by a visiting team in India in a Test series spanning three or more matches.
During the post-match presentation, Ajaz expressed interest in the suggestion of taking a piece of the Wankhede pitch home. He emphasised the importance of rhythm in spin bowling and capitalising on favourable conditions.<\/p>\n

“Not yet, but that is a great idea (on being asked if he would take a part of this pitch while going home). Spin bowling is about rhythm. When you are in such a rhythm, you will have to make the most of it. When the conditions present themselves, you got to take it by the horns and do something about it,” said Ajaz.<\/p>\n

“I felt confident in the morning session (on day two) as well to be fair, but the pitch didn’t offer me a lot in terms of spin. The period after lunch, it turned a lot more and it helped me to use my guile and vary the pace. I just tried to keep it simple, keep the shape of the ball in the air and be ahead of the batters.”<\/p>\n

“He (Pant) has batted phenomenally in the series and he put us under pressure throughout the series. I knew if I just bowled good balls at him, he will come out and hit me out of the park. So, I had to think out of the box and come up with a different plan against him. No, not this time (on whether he would go and visit Jogeshwari, his place of birth in the Mumbai suburb),” he concluded.<\/p>\n

Pant emerged as the series’ leading run-scorer across both teams, accumulating 261 runs in three innings at an average of 43.80, striking at 89.38 with three half-centuries and a highest score of 99.
In pursuit of 147 runs, India struggled at 29 for five. Despite Pant’s aggressive half-century (64 off 57 balls, including nine fours and a six), India collapsed to 121 all out.
Ajaz claimed outstanding figures of 6\/57, whilst Phillips contributed effectively with 3\/42, securing crucial breakthroughs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n