Tim Southee’s New Zealand team earned two places in international cricket history with its dramatic, one-run comeback win over England in the second test.
It was only the fourth team after England (in 1894 and 1981) and India (in 2001) to win a test match after being forced to follow-on and only the second after the West Indies to win by a margin of one run.
New Zealand also was part of one of the most tense final days of a test match when at various times both teams had victory in their grasp and even a rare tie seemed possible. At the start of Day 5, a New Zealand win seemed the most unlikely of all possible scenarios: it had lost the series-opening match by 267 runs and been forced to follow-on 226 runs behind in the second test.
New Zealand was depleted: its bowling lineup depended heavily on the new ball pair of Tim Southee and Matt Henry in the absence of Trent Boult and Kyle Jamieson.
Neil Wagner had been demoted from the new ball role he had in the first test but it was the pugnacious bowler who had the foremost role on the last day when he took four wickets and held three catches.
New Zealand now can rest after saving its unbeaten run in test series at home which stretches back to 2017.