Ajaz Patel left Indian batters in disarray, taking 15 wickets across three Test matches and leading New Zealand to a historic 3-0 whitewash against the Indian cricket team.
His spin dominance was on full display, especially at Wankhede Stadium, where he bagged a jaw-dropping 11-wicket haul, exposing India’s vulnerability against quality spin bowling in the third and final Test.
Mohammad Kaif slams India’s collapse, calls Ajaz Patel ‘nothing special’
The once-dominant Indian batting lineup, featuring the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Shubman Gill—all known for their prowess against spin—struggled against the New Zealand spinner, and eventually, the hosts lost all three matches on spinning surfaces to the tourists.
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However, former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif has taken a surprising stance, refusing to acknowledge Ajaz Patel as a world-class spinner despite his exceptional performance in the recent Test series in India, where he finished as the highest wicket-taker for Kiwis.
In a recent social media video, Mohammad Kaif dismissed the notion of Ajaz Patel as a formidable threat, saying it was the Indian batting line-up that let one and all down; otherwise, spinners like Kiwi star play club cricket in India.
Mohammad Kaif claims Ajaz Patel’s success ‘Gifted’ by reckless dismissals
He claimed that Indian cricket has a lot of club players like Ajaz. The former Indian batter said that India’s batting collapse was less about Patel’s bowling quality and more about their own missteps and poor shot selection.
Mohammad Kaif noted that it was very shameful that the Indian batters were dominated by the part-timers and they lost the three-match Test series because of the part-timers like Patel and Glenn Phillips.
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Kaif further slammed the Indian batters for gifting Wankhede success to the Kiwi spinner with reckless dismissals and an inability to adapt to his line and length. He also said that Glenn Phillips is a part-timer and doesn’t know how to bowl good deliveries, but still Indian batters faltered.
We lost Test series because of the part-timers: Mohammad Kaif
Mohammad Kaif said in a video posted on his Instagram handle: “I am not lying about Glenn Phillips and Ajaz Patel. I go to practice every day at an RPA academy in Delhi. You will find players like Ajaz Patel there every day. I am telling you the truth. If you see his pitch match, he is throwing two shots, two full tosses, two lengths, and we are out there.”
He further said, “Glenn Phillips is a part-timer, and he doesn’t know how to bowl good deliveries. He has never bowled so much in his life. He is throwing full tosses, full tosses. The keeper has left the ball. We lost to part-timers and not to quality spinners. Let people say that Ajaz Patel has taken 22 wickets at the Wankhede Stadium.
He can’t even land the ball properly. Ajaz Patel bowled just two good deliveries in an over and got wickets. The defeat in the final test is embarrassing. We lost because of the part-timers. And I agree that this defeat is very shameful. However, Mitchell Santner bowled brilliantly. The way he bowled in Pune, that is a classic Test match bowling, but there was no bowler in the New Zealand side in the Mumbai Test.”
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