WELLINGTON: New Zealand on Tuesday, February 28, became just the 4 team ever to win a Second Test match after being forced to follow on when they pulled off a thrilling one-run victory over England in a classic final-day contest, in Wellington.
A famous victory for New Zealand in the second Test at Basin Reserve was secured by pacer Neil Wagner (4/62) who had James Anderson caught behind down the leg side.
After being asked to follow on after being dismissed for just 209 in their first innings in response to England's 435/8 declared, the hosts' chances had appeared doomed, but Kane Williamson's 26th Test century on the penultimate day of a wild match offered New Zealand some hope, reports the ICC.
In the fourth innings, England needed to score 258 in order to win, and they appeared to be in command when Joe Root (95) and Ben Stokes (33) were at the wicket and less than 60 runs were needed.
Yet in a nail-biting conclusion, Wagner and Tim Southee (3/45) persevered to give New Zealand a thrilling victory and tie the two-match series at one game each.
Prior to this match, India's improbable victory against Australia in Kolkata in 2001 marked the most recent instance of a team winning a Test match after being forced to follow on.
The West Indies' victory against Australia in Adelaide in 1993 was the only other time in the history of Test cricket that a match was decided by so slim of a margin. The Kiwis' winning margin of one run is a rare occurrence.
The match did not take place during the current World Test Championship season since both New Zealand and England had already lost their chances of competing in the final in June.
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