NZ VS PAK - 1st Test, Pakistan tour of New Zealand, 2020-21

New Zealand, who played better cricket for longer periods of time for five days, gain 60 Test Championship points. They are well on course for a top-two finish. We couldn't have asked for a better finish. All four results were possible with two hours left in the Test. Shows you how close the game was, although the final margin won't. That was one helluva end to 2020's international cricket! In fact, all the three Boxing Day Test matches were brilliant to watch. Hope you enjoyed our coverage as much as we did bringing it you. It's time to draw the curtains now and it's a goodbye from Abhinand Raghavendran, Nikhil Jadhav, Rishi Roy and Siva. See you in 2021...

Williamson: That's great (being the No. 1 Test team). It's a game of small margins. It could have gone either way in the last session. It's great to come away with a brilliant Test win against a great side like Pakistan. It's a special moment. It (to play in the World Test Championship final) provides the context and added intensity, specially when it comes down to crunch moments like we saw today in the last session. There is the little carrot there. However, it's not at the forefront of your mind because in Test cricket, there's so much that goes in to manufacture a result. It's moment by moment for five days, that's why there's so much enjoyment out of playing the game. It's good that we are still in the hunt for that (top-two finish) but we know that there's still a lot more cricket to be played. There was always that chance (of a Pakistan win). We did give a declaration, if the wicket didn't deteriorate as much, then there's a chance to chase it down. They did get on track to give that a nudge, certainly had some positive players at the crease, so there was that chance. That opportunity of the Test Championship meant that you may lose a game in trying to win it. You'd rather give yourself every chance to get across the line which we did and it did go our way. There were still three results possible in the last session. It's great that it has its own characteristics. We saw similar characteristics in the first one that we played against England. We see a little bit of variable bounce specially when you hit the wicket hard. It's pretty exciting that you're playing within your country but on surfaces that are varied.

Rizwan: Not disappointed, that's the beauty of Test cricket. We fought very well, we did very well. New Zealand did more hard work than us, so the result was in their favour. We made the right decision at the toss because we wanted to take few wickets early on. Fielding is very important in cricket, we collapsed in few catches. But after that, we must give credit to Williamson and his team. We went for that (win) after they declared. But, they took early wickets, that put us on the back foot. We thought of going for the chase again but they again picked a wicket in the second over today. New Zealand did very well, our guys fought well, but I must give credit to Wagner who bowled with an injured toe. We lost this match, but we are still in the series. We need to improve a bit in the batting department, our bowling is superb, our energy is superb.

Kane Williamson, Man of the Match: They (bowlers) were outstanding today, in fact they were outstanding throughout the whole game to be honest. The conditions were little different to what we experienced against the West Indies, but at the same time the conditions were fantastic as it brought spin into play as well. Huge effort from the bowlers to get across the line. A lot of credit goes to Pakistan for the way they fought, it looked a draw. In the end we are fortunate. We have a number of other leaders who have different perspectives, we always have that in our group. It was a fighting effort throughout the five days. A brilliant game as both teams put their best foot forward. In the second innings Pakistan were resilient in terms of not giving their wickets away. The wicket was quite difficult to score freely on.

When Pakistan were reduced to 0/2 before Tea on the fourth day and even a four-day finish wasn't ruled out. But Azhar Ali and Fawad Alam blocked it out and took it to the final day with seven wickets in hand. When Boult nicked Azhar Ali in the second over of the day today, the New Zealand bowlers would have fancied an early finish. But, the duo of Fawad Alam and Rizwan had other ideas. While the former notched up his second Test ton (with the first one way back in 2009), the latter recorded his second fifty of the match. After going wicketless in the middle session and when they scored 11 runs off the first two overs post tea, there were a few who wondered if Pakistan were going for the win. However, Pakistan did a Pakistan and capitulated in the final session. The youngest member of the NZ team - Jamieson - broke the 165-run stand which lasted for 388 deliveries by trapping Rizwan lbw with an inducker and a successful review. Alam followed him soon falling to a Wagner short ball. When Abbas was trapped by Santner, New Zealand still had 12.2 overs to pick the final wicket. Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah did their best and negotiated more than 7 overs, but Santner dashed the Pakistan hopes of a draw with a brilliant return catch. Magnificent end to a magnificent Test match, Hang around for the presentations..

18:38 Local Time, 05:38 GMT, 11:08 IST: Contrasting emotions. Naseem Shah is distraught and the New Zealand players are cock-a-hoop. New Zealand are the new top-ranked Test team. They have achieved this feat for the first time. Phew! An incredible Test. It truly was a game of ebbs and flows! Pakistan, after opting to bowl, removed both the NZ openers and made life difficult for even Williamson with accurate bowling especially Shaheen Afridi. But, then, they let it drift away with a couple of drops and a missed review. The New Zealand skipper took advantage of it, compiled his 23rd Test ton and three of his team-mates notched up their respective fifties to post a 400+ total. In reply, barring the Rizwan-Faheem partnership (107), there was hardly any fight from the visitors as they folded out for a moderate score and conceded a 192-run lead. The New Zealanders scored at a brisk pace in their second essay to set a target of 373 for their opponents in just over four sessions.

Santner to Naseem Shah, out Caught&Bowled!! That's a corker from Santner! Looped up delivery at 84.7kph, very full and just outside off, Naseem Shah checks his drive and ends up chipping it in the air. Santner times his jumps perfectly and plucks a one-handed stunner with his left hand to end the match. A full-length stretch from the spinner.. New Zealand win by 101 runs! Naseem Shah c and b Santner 1(24)

Santner to Naseem Shah, THATS OUT!! Caught&Bowled!!

Santner to Naseem Shah, no run, LBW appeal, struck down. New Zealand decide to send it upstairs. Sliding down leg? It's a fair delivery. A tossed up delivery that drifted in, Naseem Shah gets hit on the front leg in front of leg. Don't think it was spinning enough. Wickets - umpire's call. Clipping leg-stump. Looked like heading down leg to the naked eye. So, Naseem Shah stays...

New Zealand review..

Add one more close-in fielder. Two forward short legs in place..

Santner to Naseem Shah, no run, too wide, spinning further away, easy leave for Naseem Shah

Mitchell Santner [19.0-3-52-1] is back into the attack

There's a conference involving Williamson, Taylor, Southee and Santner. Who is going to bowl? It's the spinner. Two slips, a gully, leg slip, silly point and short leg in place

Boult to Shaheen Afridi, no run, 135.8kph, good length delivery, fifth stump channel, no shot offered

Boult to Shaheen Afridi, no run, 116kph, off-pace length ball, Afridi picks it and defends

Boult to Shaheen Afridi, no run, 132.8kph, short again, Afridi stands tall, gets on top of it and safely dead-bats it into the off-side

Boult to Shaheen Afridi, no run, 135.4kph, short one around the fifth-sixth stump zone, Afridi pokes and belatedly pulls his bat inside the line

Boult to Naseem Shah, leg byes, 1 run, 132.5kph, length ball, leg-lined, Naseem Shah misses the glance/flick as he is late on it. Hits the pad and the ball dribbles away to fine leg

Boult to Naseem Shah, no run, 132.3kph, pitched up outside off, slanted well outside off, Naseem Shah lifts his bat and lets it go