NEWS
Follow Us14 wickets fell on Day 4 of the first Galle Test between Sri Lanka and New Zealand, which has moved the game forward, most possibly towards its end in the morning session of the last day.
Five of those were picked by Ajaz Patel who amassed figures of 6/90 in the second innings, having dismissed Dimuth Karunaratne on Day 3. It is his fifth five-wicket haul in 17 Tests and second in Sri Lanka, with the first also coming in Galle, back in 2019.
The left-arm spinner attributed the success to his hunger which stems from the limited chances.
Patel has played only 17 of New Zealand’s 45 Tests since his debut in November 2018. The Blackcaps are a pace-bowling oriented side at home making it tough for specialist spinners to break into the XI. The Mumbai-born has played only three of New Zealand’s 24 Test matches at home in this time period. Thus, opportunities for Patel are automatically limited.
"The hunger grows more every time you don't get an opportunity that you want," Patel said after play on Day 4.
Patel has enjoyed Sri Lanka in his brief career. In three Tests in the island country, the left-arm spinner has now picked 17 wickets at 23.1 runs apiece.
"As a spinner, you have the luxury of the ball doing a little more in these conditions," he said. "It can be challenging as well, because when you come to these conditions you're up against good players of spin as well. It's a double-edged sword.
"It's about presenting the ball in good areas for long periods and using what is available to us on the day - sometimes it may be the breeze, it may be the surface, it may be the pace of the wicket. It is a responsibility I thrive on and something I really enjoy."
The 35-year-old highlighted the pros and cons of bowling in unique conditions that Galle offers. The stadium is surrounded by the Indian Ocean from two sides, resulting in a constant flow of wins across the venue. Patel mentioned that bowling into the wind helps him work these conditions in his favor.
"Bowling into a strong breeze as a spinner is sometimes quite nice because you know you can hang the ball up there and the wind will do some work to bring it down. It's just about using the subtle changes of pace, and using that to your advantage,” he answered.
Patel also shared the new ball with William O’Rourke in the second innings. He stated that it is tough for spinners to extract turn from the surface when the ball goes softer. However, he went wicketless in his first spell but later picked five wickets in his 11 overs long fourth wicket. Interestingly, four of those five came with the second new ball in the morning session on Day 4.
"There are two separate phases - one with the old ball, and one with the new ball. With the old ball it was really about trying to get as much overspin as I could and trying to get something out of that surface. As the ball gets older and softer it doesn't react off the surface as much."
The Kiwi side are assisted by Rangana Herath on this tour of six Test matches in Asia, including four in India, on either side of this series. Herath has joined the New Zealand squad as their spin bowling consultant. At Galle itself, Herath has 102 wickets – nearly 24% of his Test wickets.
"It's awesome having Rangana in our side. He's someone I grew up watching bowl. In terms of stature and build we're very similar, and he was world class. So it’s been great having him in our corner and being able to talk me through the conditions and what's given me success in Galle previously, and what conditions to expect.
"He's also helped me tackle different angles, different fields, and different mindsets. It's been a privilege and we're very fortunate to be able to tap into that knowledge. He's been very successful at this ground,” Patel said on Herath’s contribution.
New Zealand finished Day 4 at 207/8, still 68 runs adrift of the target with all hopes pinned on Rachin Ravindra (91*) to bat with Patel and O'Rourke.
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