Ajaz Patel inked his name in the history books after becoming only the third bowler to claim all ten wickets in an innings in a Test match. He achieved this feat in the ongoing second Test of the two-match series at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.
While his teammates struggled to keep things tight, Ajaz was probing throughout his spell of 47.5 overs. He had claimed four wickets on Day 1. And as soon as the game resumed on Day 2, he found himself on the cusp of a hat-trick after dismissing Wriddhiman Saha and R. Ashwin on successive deliveries.
His tenth wicket, of Mohammed Siraj, allowed him to join an exclusive list, that, until today, used to consist of only Jim Laker and Anil Kumble.
Here are the five best bowling figures in Test cricket:
1. Jim Laker, 10-53 vs Australia in 1956
More than six decades ago, Laker became the first bowler to claim all ten wickets in an innings. Laker's ten-wicket haul helped England take a crucial 2-1 lead with an innings and 170-run win at Old Trafford. Laker bowled 51.2 overs for his historic 10-53, and finished the series with 46 wickets at an astounding average of 9.60.
2. Anil Kumble - 10/74 vs Pakistan in 1999
Forty-three years later, Kumble emulated Laker during the second Test against Pakistan at the then Feroz Shah Kotla in New Delhi. After winning the first Test by 12 runs, Pakistan were well on their way to salvage a draw in the second. Asked to chase 420, Pakistan got off to a steady start and were on 101/0 at lunch. But after lunch, Kumble triggered a dramatic collapse to wrap up Pakistan for 207.
3. Ajaz Patel, 10-119 vs India in 2021
Ajaz marked his return to the city of his birth – Mumbai – with a ten-wicket haul that restricted India to 325 in the first innings. He finished with figures of 47.5-12-119-10, the third-best in the history of cricket.
4. George Lohmann, 9-28 vs South Africa in 1896
In 1896 against South Africa, England's Lohmann claimed 9-28 in the first innings to bowl out South Africa for 151. Lohmann bowled 14 overs for his 9-28, setting up a win by an innings and 197 runs. Among the bowlers with at least 20 wickets, Lohmann's average of 10.75 is second to none.
5. Jim Laker, 9-37 vs Australia in 1956
In the same match where he claimed 10 wickets in the second innings, Laker had taken 9-37 in the first innings. The only Australian wicket which Laker did not pick in the entire Test match was of Jim Burke, who fell to Tony Lock on 22.