The narrow and busy lanes of Mumbai's Dongri area was host to a special guest on Tuesday (November 5). However, the visit by this special guest was so discreet and secret that hardly anyone would believe that an international cricketer visited this hustling and bustling part of the city.
To cut right to the chase, New Zealand cricketer Ajaz Patel visited the house of his relatives in Mumbai's Dongri area on Tuesday afternoon. Ajaz Patel was India's 'tormentor-in-chief' at the Wankhede stadium and his performance was pivotal in New Zealand subjecting India to a whitewash in the recently concluded Test series, a first in the history.
While Ajaz's exploits on the cricket field against India resounded across the cricketing world, his visit to Mumbai's Dongri area to meet his relatives was a low-key affair. True to his humble and down-to-earth demeanour, the spinner ensured that his visit did not become a topic of attraction or traffic woes.
Ajaz shares a special bond with Mumbai as it was here that the cricketer was born and raised during his formative years. He lived with his family in the western suburb of Jogeshwari. However, even back then he loved coming to Dongri and according to his relatives whom he paid a visit, he makes sure to check on them whenever he is in Mumbai.
Ajaz's family along with him immigrated to New Zeland when he was eight-years old. The left-arm spinner was noticed after a series of impressive performances at domestic level cricket in New Zealand. Ajaz made his debut in T20 International matches against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi on October 31, 2018. He played his first test match against Pakistan on November 16, 2018 in Abu Dhabi on the same tour.
However, it was his performance at Mumbai's Wankhede stadium in the year 2021 during a test match against India that brought him to the world's attention. Ajaz Patel became only the third bowler in the history of the sport to pick all 10-wickets in an innings.
Ajaz created history again when New Zealand played India at Wankhede in Mumbai, the city of his birth. The spinner claimed 11-wickets and bagged the man of the match award and proved to be the difference between both the sides. Ajaz Patel's performance was crucial in the final test match of the series in Mumbai as New Zealand scripted history by becoming the first team to whitewash India at a test series in India.
