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Nerve-racking, nail-biting and full of excitement, the last Test of 2🅠020 had all the possible ingredients to entertain ♒fans.
Eventually, New Zealand defeated Pakistan by 101 runs, but it wasn’t that easy for the hosts. The visitors exhibited top-class cricket and fighting spirit to push the game deep on the final day at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui.
Pakistan started the fifth day with an overnight score of 71/3, and Trent Boult provided the breakthrough straightaway after he nicked Azhar Ali (38) in the second over. The Kiwi bowlers would have anticipated an early finish, but Fawad Alam (102) and stand-in skipper Mohammad Rizwan (60) had some other plans.
While Fawad notched up his second Test century (the first one came way back in 2009), Rizwan smashed his second fifty of the match. Both the batters were looking set to take the game away from Black Caps. However, Kyle Jamieson came for New Zealand’s rescue in the 103rd over when he broke the 165-run stand by trapping Rizwan lbw. Three overs later, Neil Wagner joined the party and dismissed centurion Fawad.
In the match’s final few minutes, tailenders Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah did their best to negotiate more than seven overs, but Mitchell Santner ended the Pakꦉistan hopes of a draw with a brilliant caught and bowled off Naseem in 🃏the 124th over.
With the victory, New Zealan🍌d 𓄧have reached the top of the ICC Trest rankings for the first time.
Here is how Twitter reacted:
You Player of the Match – Kane Williamson 🏏
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS)
Congratulations on becoming no.1 Test team
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14)
Test cricket you beautiful beast
— Alex Chapman (@AlexChapmanNZ)
//twitter.com/alistairjhogg/status/134415910984𒁃3705859
26 – Kyle Jamieson bowled 26 maidens in the men's Test at Bay Oval; only one pace bowler has made more in a Test on New Zealand soil (Lance Cairns – 29 v India at Eden Park, March 1981). Clinical.
— OptaJason (@OptaJason)
How good is this?
— Andrew Gourdie (@AndrewGourdie)
Neil Wagner. There aren't enough words
— Andrew McGlashan (@andymcg_cricket)
What a finish! Congrats to both t🃏eams for putting on such a spectacle.
— Melinda Farrell (@melindafarrell)
Three outstanding Boxing Day Tests to end 2020.
A run-fest in Centurion, attrꦆitional cricket at its best in Melbourne and one that went 🦂all the way down to the final hour in Mount Maunganui. 👌— Deepu Narayanan (@deeputalks)
– MOM for Williamson.
– Masterstroke to bring Santner.
– New Zealand number 1 Test team.
– Williamson likely to be number 1 in ICC Test ranking.What a day for Kane. The Ice cool.
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns)
Five Test wins in a row for the 👏
What a team!
— ICC (@ICC)
Fielders crowding around the bat, one wicket remaining, overs fadi🍸ng fast late on day 🍌five. How good is Test cricket!
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau)
This is how test mat🌸ches should finish. Final s𒆙ession, final day, 1st test. Pakistan 261-9 with 12.2 overs to play.
— Andrew Alderson (@aldersonnotes)
//twitter.com/Yorrike/status/1344166870962716675
Great fight back good try I don't have complain from that kind of loss well played rizwan in both innings and fahim and fawad also our bowling not up to the mark top order also
— Yasir Lodhi Pathan (@scorpionyasir1)
Kane Williamson is a genius and brave captain. Perhaps knowing ho⛎w conditions ease out in NZ in 4th inns, he gave his bowlers more than 4 sessions to bowl out Pakistan. Declared with targ𓆉et only 373 and went for 60 points in the WTC.
— Mazher Arshad (@MazherArshad)
A brilliant match – Test cricket at its best
— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket)
I didn't fancy 5 sleepless nights, but that was a privilege to watch.
— Danyal Rasool (@Danny61000)
