Rizwan opens up after thrilling finish to first New Zealand Test

New Zealand beat Pakistan by 101 runs in a thrilling finish to the first Test in Mount Maunganui Wednesday, where the visitors were just 27 balls from escaping with a draw.

The win tentatively put New Zealand top of the World rankings and kept alive their chances of making the World Test Championship final.

After a 165-run fifth-wicket stand by Fawad Alam and Mohammad Rizwan the Test went into the final session with both sides in with a chance to win.

Pakistan needed 158 runs, New Zealand required six wickets and 36 overs remained.

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson put his faith in Neil Wagner, bowling on two broken toes, and the youngest of his pace quartet, Kyle Jamieson, to swing the match towards the Black Caps.

Wagner bowled a marathon 11 overs unchanged after tea and Jamieson — on his 26th birthday — bowled nine. They obliged with the wickets of Alam and Rizwan.

“Not too disappointed. This is the beauty of Test cricket. As a human being, I believe Almighty Allah gives us rewards for the hard work. New Zealand worked harder than us, and that's why the result was with their team,” said Pakistan captain Rizwan, after the match.

When Jamieson had Rizwan lbw for 60 and Wagner removed Alam for 102, New Zealand were into the tail as Pakistan folded from 240 for four to be all out for 271.

Rizwan said that despite the result, he was proud of the way his side played.

“We put in hard work, but you must give credit to the New Zealand team. We lost this match but hopefully we will win the next game and level the series” he said.

Apart from when Pakistan whipped out the New Zealand openers cheaply on day one, the match had been in New Zealand's control until Rizwan, the stand-in skipper, joined Alam in the middle with Pakistan 75 for four on the final morning.

They occupied the crease for more than 63 overs until Jamieson struck 11 overs into the final session.

Jamieson had gone close to taking a wicket several times previously, and even his lbw shout against Rizwan was turned down before the umpire's decision was overturned on review.

Alam lasted three more overs until he gloved a Wagner short ball to wicketkeeper BJ Watling down the leg side.

Alam had been discarded by Pakistan in 2009 after three Tests and a best innings of 168, and since his recall this year his highest score was 21 against England in August.

There were a few loose shots early in his innings and a nerve-wracking moment when a ball ricocheted off his arm and bounced dangerously close to the stumps.

Otherwise he staunchly held his own through 269 deliveries before bringing up his century with a four off Wagner — scoring only two more runs off his next 33 balls before his dismissal.

“Fawad played really well considering that our plan was to stay at the wicket for as long as possible,” Rizwan said while praising Fawad.

New Zealand's frontline pace bowlers Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Wagner, Jamieson and Santner each took two wickets.