India, Oct. 23 -- As the Indian men's cricket team kicked off its all-format tour of New Zealand yesterday, left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel shares his excitement about the series and how his family continues to stay connected to its Indian roots. Amid the ongoing India vs New Zealand series, which is being telecast on Sony Sports in India, Patel says that the two countries always put up a nail biting clash. "It's a very exciting series. If you look at New Zealand, it's quite a strong squad, and there's no doubt that India will bring a very strong team as well. They're two very strong cricketing nations going head-to-head," shares the 37-year-old, adding that New Zealand's last Test series whitewash of India could add an extra edge to the face-off. Mumbai-born Patel made history in 2021 when he took all 10 wickets in an innings in a match against India at Wankhede Stadium, becoming only the third Test cricketer to achieve the feat. Five years later, Patel continues to cherish the match. "It's certainly very special and probably defines my career... But I hope that's not the only thing people remember. I've been fortunate to play in some amazing series and the limited opportunities that I've had have all been special in different ways," he shares. Having moved to NZ at the young age of eight, Patel's earliest memories of India revolve around school and playing cricket. "I remember getting on the school bus and getting my homework done, but the cool part was, at the end of the day, you could go out and play. There'd be numerous cricket games going on, and you'd just join in. You don't have to be friends with anyone; you can literally go and join a game anywhere," he recalls. Despite moving abroad, he shares how rooted in tradition his family still is. "At home we speak Hindi, and at my grandmother's, we speak Gujarati. We still have big Indian weddings. We're very much centred around our culture. But obviously, we've also adopted a New Zealand lifestyle, and I think it's really important to have that balance."...