The commentary is not available for this match. Please check the scorecard for latest updates.
That is it from this test series. It was an enthralling one to be honest, South Africa were never in the game in the first test, the manner in which they came back to win this test match talks a lot about the potential this young South African side possesses and something that the teams should never underestimate. New Zealand though were a bit off color with the ball in this test match, they needed a lot of top order contributions to come back into the test and they disappointed. Plenty of cricket coming around, Women's World Cup, West Indies vs England test series, do stick around to Sportskeeda for all the exciting news. This has been me, Pradeep Somashekar along with my partner Pratyush Rohra signing off, take care and stay safe!
Tom Latham and Dean Elgar get together and share the trophy and both the teams now pose for the camera as they share the series 1-1!
Dean Elgar (South Africa captain): I saw the look on your face when I said I bat first, you had a better smile. Some tough decisions that we had to take as a unit, luckily it paid off for us, it was something that might've backfired on us and I would've looked like absolute idiot but I'm one of those guys that live by the decisions that I take for the side, trying to make us a better side going forward. We've had a few wins interesting wins off-late but this is a big one in the context of playing away from home, we were wiped out in 2 and a half days in the first test, we showed a lot of character and players rose to the occasion. I think every test victories is great for the players career, captaining in that capacity is going to rank up one of the better ones, after reflecting over the last few days I'm sure we have a long flight back home. I think our basics in the first game went out the window, we needed to nail that down, we needed to score first inning runs which is obviously goes massive in test cricket irrespective what the conditions are, you have to front up and score runs and take those twenty wickets to win a test match, we've done well in that sense and it's quite a reflection on us as a side. It'll be nice for us to be in 1-0 up rather than 1-0 down all the time but yea, we've got a young side, exciting group and inexperienced group of players but there is no lack of talent pool in the side, we just have to work with what we have at the moment, we'll get there but you know it takes time, we've done well in situations where we are so far behind in the game, leveling the series and it's always going to be positive for us, hopefully players realize that and hopefully they work harder, it's going to make us a lot better as a unit.
Tom Latham (New Zealand captain): Obviously not the outcome we were hoping for. It was pretty even-stevens. They probably had their heads a bit in front and we weren't able to break their partnerships yesterday morning. We weren't able to build enough partnerships in the first innings as well. Not putting on a big total on the board was disappointing. The game was hanging in the balance for a long time and they were able to get their head right in front. Those key moments didn't go our way. Heading into the game, we didn't really talk about the history. We knew South Africa were going to be at their best. They took their chances and credit to them. They played fantastically well. Almost would have been the great escape. In that situation, you don't want to leave it up to the weather. As I said, unfortunately, we weren't able to build those partnerships. If we would have been able to do that, we might have had them down for one or two last night. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. Regardless of the conditions, we are looking to get better. Try to find a way in flatter conditions. The key is to always try and get better. I just want to say a huge thanks to Dean and the South African team. The quarantine measures and traveling in this day and age are never easy.
Matt Henry is the Player of the series!
Henry: I think obviously we had a lot of hopes coming into this game but South Africa came back very strong and deserved winners of this test match. South Africa put up good little partnerships and kept swinging the game their way which resulted well for them. At the end of the day, you coming in and do your role well, ask a lot of questions and make sure you get those 20 wickets. Of course, I take my batting seriously, in that inning it was about survival but it was nice I enjoyed myself and also helped put up score to the team total. Well, we were ready to dig deep, would've taken ball by ball with the clouds came over, you just never know.
Kagiso Rabada has been adjudged the Player of the match for his splendid performance with the ball and bat that helped South Africa square the series!
Rabada: Never easy playing against New Zealand at their own backyard, we knew what we had to win the test on a flatter wicket and we got the job done. I think we've been in this sort of positions before, New Zealand in the first test were just too good but we're glad we came back to make it 1-1. To be honest, as a fast player you'd like on tracks like it was in the first test and this one way too slower, but we had to work lot harder and take those 20 wickets and we did that. It is important that lower contributions are a must if a team needs to do well in the test match and we were able to do that well in this test. Temba didn't want that catch (chuckles), no, I'm kidding, it split between us to be honest and it was the last second decision to go for the catch.
Keshav Maharaj: Always nice to take the last wicket. I was waiting for the ball and the captain threw the ball to me. Nice to end on that note. There was a bit of a sweat. Luckily the rain gods were on our side today and managed to get us back on the field. Thank you to the coaching staff and Dean. I've been working on my game and waiting for an opportunity to win a game for my side. I take it quite personally when the team loses, whether I'm playing or not. I just want to make a positive impact for my team, so I just keep going through my routines and wait for the opportunities to come. That helped me from a confidence point of view. I'd like to thank Dean for the faith he showed in me. It was very touching. In the previous series, I didn't get to bowl as much with the seamers doing the job. Just thankful for the opportunity. I was quite happy with the way the ball came out. The coaches have been working with me and I'm glad that I was reaping the rewards right now.
South Africa won the game by 198 runs and level the test series, 1-1!
South Africa's revival began with a bold decision at the toss from Dean Elgar - electing to bat first, the skipper and his opening partner Sarel Erwee got going with a fine 111-run stand to justify the same. Erwee capped it off with a maiden Test century, making the long wait for the same over the years truly worth it as he put the visitors right in front.
All that was in danger of being undone though with the Kiwis storming back with quick wickets the next morning. A useful stand between Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada though shored up the visitors' score to 364, before they took over with the ball to plot the hosts' downfall. A couple of fortuitous dismissals with the batters getting strangled down leg didn't help the Kiwis' cause either and at 91-5, they were staring down the abyss.
That was when a certain Colin de Grandhomme took matters into his own hands in his typically aggressive style - a counter-attack is known to bring the best out of him and de Grandhomme duly obliged with a solid Daryl Mitchell for company. A 133-run stand that extended into the next morning put the Kiwis firmly back on track before the latter was trapped in front by Keshav Maharaj. South Africa continued to chip away at the wickets but de Grandhomme racked up a blistering ton to keep his afloat.
A 71-run deficit was worth its weight in gold though and despite the Kiwi seamers storming back to have the Proteas in a spot of bother, all the visitors needed was one big partnership. Take two, said Kyle Verreynne, as in the company of Wiaan Mulder first and Rabada later on, turned out to be South Africa's answer to Colin de Grandhomme. A blazing hundred, the first of his career and a potentially defining one at that, put the visitors right in the driver's seat before Dean Elgar pulled the shutters down. Lest we forget mentioning an absolute screamer of a catch on the part of Will Young that innings
That is it, South Africa win the test match and level the series 1-1! What a game of cricket this has been from South Africa after getting drubbed in the first test. Dean Elgar will be mighty pleased being the skipper of this side which showed character, came back from the ashes and won the test match!
93.5 Keshav Maharaj to Matt Henry, OUT! STONE-DEAD LBW! Henry reviews. Did he get any bat on it? Nope! It was a hopeful review, to say the least. Clever bowling from Maharaj. Slides in the arm ball as Henry prods forward to defend. The ball goes past the inside edge and thuds into the knee roll. That's as plumb as they come! Ultraedge confirms no bat involved. Ball-tracking shows this is crashing into middle and off. South Africa win by 198 runs and level the series!
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Hagley Oval, Christchurch
