Visiting bowlers with Test fifers at Wankhede (21st century)
New Zealand will take on India in the third and final Test match at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium on November 1. The Kiwis are eyeing a 3-0 series sweep, having already sealed the series 2-0. They became the first visiting team to win a Test series in India since 2012. Meanwhile, here we look at visiting bowlers with Test fifers at Wankhede in the 21st century.
Ajaz Patel - 10/119 in 2021
In the 2021 Wankhede Test, New Zealand's Ajaz Patel made history by taking all 10 wickets against India in their first innings. The left-arm spinner returned with figures of 10/119, marking the third-best bowling figures in a Test innings. He did not receive any support from the other end. Despite his remarkable performance, New Zealand lost the match by a substantial margin of 372 runs.
Michael Clarke - 6/9 in 2004
One of Australia's finest batters, Michael Clarke also made a decent mark with his left-arm spin. He was at his best in the 2004 Wankhede Test. At 153/3, India were decently placed in their second innings. However, then came the Clarke storm as India were folded for just 205. He returned with 6/9 in just 6.2 overs. India, however, won by 13 runs.
Monty Panesar - 5/129 and 6/81 in 2012
Another visiting left-arm spinner to have made a mark at Wankhede is England's Monty Panesar. He was lethal in the 2012 Mumbai game, claiming 5/129 and 6/81 across his two outings. Panesar was nearly unplayable in the fourth innings as nine of India's 11 batters could not enter double digits. England famously won the game by 10 wickets.
Shane Shillingford - 5/179 in 2013
West Indies's Shane Shillingford is the only other visiting bowler with a Test fifer at Wankhede in the ongoing century. The off-spinner put up a fine show in the 2013 Wankhede game, which also happened to be the last Test of the legendary Sachin Tendulkar. Though Indian batters posted 495/10 in their first innings, Shillingford somewhat restricted the damage with figures worth 5/179. The hosts eventually claimed an innings triumph.
