Ajaz was only months old when New Zealand last played at this venue, and now some 25-years later, he will be rearing for the blackcaps, trying his best to win the series at his birthplace.

Ajaz, when asked about the return to Mumbai, in an interview with Hindustan Times said, “I was thinking about it when we landed in Mumbai yesterday. It was nice coming out – we have come here with family for holiday (in past). It is a little different now, obviously. This time I am with cricket.” Ajaz further added that it will be an emotional moment for him, considering that his parents, who have never seen him play for New Zealand in person will now be sitting in the Wankhede stand. Also, he emphasized the fact that all his family members who are in the town will be able to come in to see him play on different days according to their convenience, which Ajaz thinks is the “beauty of test cricket.”

Ajaz also enumerated about what were his thoughts about playing with Rachit Ravindra, another New Zealand player of Indian heritage. Ajaz said, “– the two boys of Indian heritage, being brought up in New Zealand, playing against one of the biggest cricketing nations, trying to fight for a draw and that I suppose (is) quite an amazing story in itself.”

Nobody can deny that the first test between the two sides turned out to be quite very competitive. Until the end of the fifth day, neither team could have complete control of the game. At the end of the final day of play, it was resilience by young Rachin Ravindra and Ajaz Patel and bad light that led to the match ending inconclusively in a draw. Although the pitch did deteriorate over the five days, it was still helpful enough for both batters and bowlers to procure an even contest.

The Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association, at the end of the game, announced the prize money. In the announcement made at the press box, they said, “we would like to make an official announcement. Mr Rahul Dravid has paid Rs 35,000 personally to our grounds men,” reports ANI.

Dravid has been known for being fair since his playing days. This gesture of his has set an excellent template for the future. It also hints at how the pitches in India from now onwards will be a mixture of a bit of everything rather than being spin-friendly.

Latham’s wicket, just like in the first inning, opened up the flood gate. Hunting in pair, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin picked up seven wickets together to reduce New Zealand to 155 for 9 in the day’s final session.

Although debutant Rachin Ravindra put up a great resistance, it seemed as if it was a matter of a moment before either he or Azaj would lose their wicket. That is when the bad light came into play. With their high-tech machinery, Umpire Nitin Menon kept checking the light’s condition between the over. And once Jadeja bowled the 94th over of the match, which Ajaz Patel safely negotiated, Menon consulted his partner Umpire Virendra Sharma to call it a day.

The batters took a sigh of relief, and so did the New Zealand’s dressing room, while Ajinkya Rahane was seen in a long conversation with both umpires before he shook their hand to accept the fate that the bad light had professed for him.

At the end of the day, it was cricket that won. Both the teams put up a great fight to procure the first draw on Indian soil in the last four years.

Shreyas Iyer was adjudged as the player of the match for his fabulous century and a half-century in the first and second inning, respectively. He became the first debutant for India to achieve this feat.

A dream start to his Test career and @ShreyasIyer15 is named the Player of the Match.✨@Paytm #TeamIndia #INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/BHbHwUz6b9

— BCCI (@BCCI) November 29, 2021