Ajaj patel

Picking up all 10 wickets in a Test innings is such a rare feat that in 148 years of Test cricket, it has happened only three times. New Zealand spinner Ajaz Patel joined this elite club alongside Jim Laker and Anil Kumble. While Kumble and Ajaz considered Jim Laker their inspiration, the question remains: who or what inspired Jim Laker?

Laker’s record is extraordinary, but since there was no live broadcast at the time and media wasn’t as fast or widespread as today, many remarkable facts about that performance remain largely unknown. Let’s revisit the journey of that historic spell.