Bipin Dani
Taqi Raza is one among a few persons having watched the last two 10 wicket hauls by Anil Kumble and Ajaz Patel.
Taqi Raza, a part of TV crew members, was present when Anil Kumble grabbed all ten Pakistani wickets (Delhi) in 1999. He was also present at the Wankhede Stadium when New Zealand's Ajaz Patel had all ten Indian victims in the Test, which Kohli's team won.
"I am fortunate enough to be at the ground on both occasions", Delhi-based Raza, said over the telephone.
Interestingly, Raza, in this profession for many years, has witnessed several other milestones.
"I was present at Galle when Sri Lanka's Muthiah Muralitharan captured his 800th Test wicket. Incidentally, his 800th wicket was taken from my end where I was posing as a cameraman. That was the farewell Test match of world's highest Test wicket taker".
"I was present when Muralitharan and R. Ashwin took their 400th wickets".
"I can't forget capturing Sachin Tendulkar's farewell Test match. I have witnessed Sachin's many hundreds and have never failed to capture the shot when Sachin looked up at God after reaching his hundred".
There may or may not be a single person present at the ground to have witnessed Test cricket's all three ten wicket hauls in a Test innings by Jim Laker (England vs. Australia, Manchester, 1956), Anil Kumble and now Ajaz Patel but according to renowned cricket statistician and historian Steven Lynch, England's Richard Stokes was at the ground on first two occasions.
"When he was ten, Richard Stokes was taken by his father to the 1956 Ashes Test at Old Trafford, and watched Jim Laker complete his ten-wicket haul. In 1998, while working in India, businessman Stokes strolled along to watch a Test match in Delhi - and endured an even noisier day as Anil Kumble took all ten against Pakistan", Steven says.
