‘The greatest format’- Virender Sehwag, Wasim Jaffer lead cricket fraternity’s praise for New Zealand’s thrilling win against England in 2nd Test

New Zealand’s incredible comeback in the second Test against England will be remembered as one of the greatest Test matches in cricket history. After being asked to bat first, England dominated the first innings with Harry Brook and Joe Root scoring centuries to reach 435/8. However, New Zealand’s response was lackluster as they were bundled out for just 209, forcing the follow-on.

But the Kiwis refused to go down without a fight. Led by captain Kane Williamson’s brilliant century, they put up a remarkable second-innings performance, setting England a target of 258. The stage was set for a nail-biting finish on the final day, and Neil Wagner’s short-ball barrage proved to be the difference as England fell agonizingly short by one run.

New Zealand’s victory is only the fourth time in Test cricket history that a team has won a match after following on, and the first since India’s famous win against Australia in Kolkata in 2001. It is also only the second time a Test match has been won by the margin of one run, the first being West Indies’ win over Australia in Adelaide in 1993.

The victory is a testament to New Zealand’s fighting spirit and resilience. Each player stepped up when the moment demanded it, whether it was Williamson’s century, Tom Blundell and Tom Latham’s vital contributions in the second innings, or Wagner’s match-winning bowling performance.

It is worth noting that New Zealand’s success in Test cricket has been a long time coming. Despite being a consistently competitive team, they have often been overshadowed by the likes of Australia, England, and India. But in recent years, they have emerged as a force to be reckoned with, reaching the final of the 2019 World Cup and earning a historic Test series win against India in 2020.

Their victory over England in this Test match is another feather in their cap and further cements their place among the top Test teams in the world. It is also a reminder that in cricket, as in life, it’s not how you start but how you finish that truly matters.

Here’s how the cricketing fraternity reacted to New Zealand’s thrilling win against England: 

Incredible game of cricket .. The greatest format shining once again .. #NZvENG

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) February 28, 2023

https://twitter.com/WasimJaffer14/status/1630427881808732161?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1630427881808732161%7Ctwgr%5Eff1d59c21809b567ada0eb43db47d90fdabbedbf%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fsports.ndtv.com%2Fcricket%2Ftest-cricket-is-best-cricket-virender-sehwag-and-others-hail-new-zealands-win-vs-england-3822310

No better game in the world than Test cricket. What a finish!!! #NZvENG

— Marnus Labuschagne (@marnus3cricket) February 28, 2023

Test Cricket is Best Cricket. What a Match. England Vs @BLACKCAPS has become one of the most dramatic clashes in recent times , another thrilling game.
Well done to NZ on a great win after being asked to follow-on and well done Eng on making the best format most exciting #EngvNZ

— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) February 28, 2023

https://twitter.com/ashwinravi99/status/1630406017438875648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1630406017438875648%7Ctwgr%5Eff1d59c21809b567ada0eb43db47d90fdabbedbf%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fsports.ndtv.com%2Fcricket%2Ftest-cricket-is-best-cricket-virender-sehwag-and-others-hail-new-zealands-win-vs-england-3822310