Ajaz Patel recalls cat and mouse battle with 'special cricketer' Rishabh Pant

Star New Zealand spinner Ajaz Patel recalled his battles with India wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant during the recent Test series win.

In Short

• Ajaz Patel picked 11/160 in the third Test vs Mumbai
• Rishabh Pant was the lone warrior for India in 2nd innings
• Pant was the highest run scorer of the series

New Zealand spinner Ajaz Patel opened up on the challenges posed to him by the star India wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant during the recent three-match Test series against India. Notably, Patel starred for New Zealand in the third Test in Mumbai registering figures of 11/160 across two innings.

Indian batters faltered against Patel’s varations apart from Pant who took him apart in both the innings in Mumbai. Reflecting on the onslaught by the India batter, Patel mentioned how Pant kept him on his toes by forcing him to constantly change his plans.

"I had a great battle with him in this Mumbai Test, where when he was trying to run down, I was getting quicker and flatter, and then once I started slowing him up, knowing that he was in the crease, he then started going back and using that to his advantage. It changed me to then have to start bowling quicker again, and those kind of things,” Patel was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

Further speaking ahead, Patel also revealed how Pant batted differently across three surfaces in Bengaluru, Pune and Mumbai and hailed him for adapting to different conditions.

“As a bowler and a batsman, that you start to think about and really get into the game, and that little bit of cat and mouse between the batter and the bowler, and I guess that's something that he did really well. He read the conditions, and he read, I guess, you know, the style of play that he needed for those conditions, and he batted differently in all the games, to be fair," he added.

Patel continued his love affair with the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai during the third Test as he picked his third five wicket haul at the venue. He earlier became only the third player in the history of the game to pick all ten wickets of a Test innings during his first visit at the venue in 2021.

Speaking ahead, the Blackcaps spinner also highlighted the challenge of bowling against Pant calling him a ‘special cricketer.’

Rishabh Pant is a special cricketer: Ajaz Patel

"Like in Bangalore, he took his time and picked the right balls. In Pune, he watched Mitch, knowing that there was a bit more at that end, and then when it came to my end. He looked to make the most of it, because I probably wasn't getting as much turn. And then in Mumbai, he looked to kind of take advantage when I was going with a certain plan and use that to his advantage. So yeah, the man's a very, very good cricketer. He's a special cricketer, and, you know, anytime you're up against him, you got to watch out, because if he's in form, it's going to be real challenge,” he added.

Pant was the lone warrior for India in the second innings of the last Test in Mumbai as he scored 64 (57) with the help of nine fours and a six. However, he was dismissed by Ajaz Patel courtesy of a controversial decision by the third umpire with India 41 runs away from a win.

Following his wicket, Indian tail failed to hold on as they were bundled out for 121 handing New Zealand a 25-run win which further helped them complete a historic 3-0 whitewash over India. Pant finished as the highest run scorer of the series with 261 runs to his name registering three half centuries.