NZ vs PAK 1st Test Results

6:03 AM IST Right! Test cricket is well and truly alive. If someone tells you otherwise, show them the scorecard of this game. What an end to 2020. That's all from this game then. New Zealand take the lead in the 2-match series and at the same time, replace Australia from the top position in the ICC rankings. Yes. They are the number 1 Test team in the world. The number one team now will meet Pakistan in 2021. That game will begin on 3rd January 2021. The action will start at 1100 local (2200 GMT, the previous day). Join us for that. Until then, cheers and take care.

6:01 AM IST Mohammad Rizwan, the Pakistan skipper, says that they fought really hard. Adds that New Zealand did more hard work than them and they deserve this victory. Goes onto say that they wanted to take few early wickets but fielding is the most important and they need to improve on that aspect. Tells that they had planned to chase it down but they lost early wickets and then the plans changed. Adds that they came back on Day 5 and thought of chasing it down. Credits Neil Wagner for performing brilliantly despite the injury. Says that they lost this match but they are still in the series and they will need to improve in their batting. Goes onto say that he is very happy with the guys.

5:59 AM IST In response, Pakistan found themselves reeling as they lost their 6 wickets with the score not even crossing 100. Then came the rescue act led by Rizwan. He got an able partner in Faheem who played a superb knock too. Rizwan got run out on 71 while Faheem got out on 91. Pakistan eventually bundled for 239. If not for these two, Pakistan would've given away a way bigger lead than they gave. It was a collective bowling performance from the Kiwis but they would've loved to bundle the Pakistani side way early than they eventually did, especially after removing their 6 for less than 100.

5:59 AM IST You know what happened on Day 5! Character and guts and grit from Fawad and Rizwan. The never give up attitude of Wagner. The persistence from Jamieson that paid off. The masterstroke of throwing the ball to Santner by backing the instinct. The courage by Afridi to continue even after getting taking a big blow on the helmet. A lot of life lessons there! In the end, an absolute cracker of a Test match.

5:58 AM IST What a spirited effort from the Kiwi bowlers to keep coming at Pakistan. The first session saw just one wicket. The second, nothing. But they just never gave up. Wagner, the man with two fractured toes, put the hard yards and just kept bowling. Credit to Kyle Jamieson too. He was the one who removed Rizwan to open the gate for the Kiwis. And in the end, Santner did the job for them.

5:57 AM IST However, the Kiwis didn't lose hope. They just kept coming, over after over. Eventually, the hard work paid off for them when Jamieson got the wicket of Rizwan. Once that happened, Fawad too followed him back to the pavilion and then it was just about how long the Kiwis will take to remove the tail. Afridi, in spite of getting a blow on his helmet, frustrated them for a little while along with Naseem Shah but it wasn't meant to be for Pakistan. Or maybe it was meant for the Kiwis. The inspired bowling change of Santner worked in the end for them as he plucked one out of thin air of his own bowling.