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In what will go down as one of the most memorable Test matches of all-time, New Zealand held their nerve and snatched a victory from the jaws of defeat against high-flying England. The Black Caps registered an emphatic comeback to stun the Three Lions by one run in the second Test match at the Basin Reserve in Wellington on February 28 (Tuesday). As a result, Tim Southee's men leveled the series 1-1.
With just two runs needed to win the game, Neil Wagner stifled James Anderson down the leg-side - a wicket that sparked buoyant celebrations on the ground and in the stands. England were stunned by the Black Caps.
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With the win, New Zealand became only the third Team in Test history to register a win after following on.
Instances of a Team winning a Test match after following on:
England: Sydney Cricket Ground, December 20, 1894.
England: Headingley, Leeds, July 21, 1981.
India: Eden Gardens, Kolkata, March 15, 2001.
New Zealand: Basin Reserve, Wellington, February 28, 2023.
England required 210 runs on Day 5 to win the match and series 2-0. As it turned out, New Zealand players weren't ready to suffer another defeat. The Black Caps bowlers kept chipping away at the wickets column and reduced the Three Lions to 80/5. With the Test match slipping away, England required their two senior players - Joe Root and Ben Stokes - to dig the team out of a massive hole. And the duo didn't disappoint. Root and Stokes registered a 121-run alliance for the sixth wicket as the latter played a typical Test match knock. The English skipper scored 33 runs off 116 balls before Neil Wagner sent Stokes back to the pavilion.
England required another 57 runs after Stokes' dismissal and it looked like the visitors will find a way to secure a win. But Wagner, with his tail up, had different plans altogether. The left-arm pacer dismissed Root in the next over after sending Stokes back to the hut. The former England captain scored 95 runs off 113 balls.
Matt Henry then removes Stuart Broad, reducing England to 215/8. Wicketkeeper-batter Ben Foakes stitched a 36-run partnership with Jack Leach and again put England in the driver's seat. With the match slipping away, captain Tim Southee took matters into his own hands and struck just at the nick of time. The right-arm pacer dismissed Foakes (35 runs off 57 balls) to add more spice to the game.
Wagner, who was the star for New Zealand, deservedly finished the game and ensured the Black Caps' epic victory.
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