NZ vs SA | 2nd Test | Day 5: Team effort & bold decisions pave pathway for Dean Elgar's South Africa

South Africa staged an unbelievable turnaround in the second Test match against New Zealand to draw the series. Thrashed in the first Test by an innings and 276 runs, the visitors were in no position to compete, let alone win the Test match, but they managed to pull off the unthinkable on Tuesday, 1 March.

South Africa captain Dean Elgar was questioned over his strategy to bat first after winning the toss, but the move paid off at the end of the day, on a flatter track in the second Test match. Elgar, speaking at the post match presentation looked dead straight at the presenter and said “I just remember the look on your face when I said we’d bat first,” and emphasised on the bold decision.

South Africa went on to set the tone with Sarel Erwee's century in the first innings, before the pacers ripped through the NZ batting lineup despite a stupendous century from Colin de Grandhomme. 

The match shifted momentum even till the third day, when NZ seemed like they were back in the game after ripping through the South Africa top order early in the second innings, but a Kyle Verreyne century put South Africa ahead on Day 4. Elgar’s men seized the advantage that the wicket keeper brought them, and did not let go of the match since. Kagiso Rabada, after taking 5 wickets in the first innings, played his best Test innings scoring 47 runs off 34 balls to demoralise Kiwi hearts and then returned to take three more wickets in the second innings.

If New Zealand were to win the game, they would have had to down the highest second innings total in the history of Test cricket, something that was clearly not on offer in this wicket. Keshav Maharaj grew increasingly threatening as the days passed in the Test match and submitted the South African team with his discipline and control over the flight. Maharaj was key in removing the middle order of Henry Nicholls and Daryl Mitchell before Marco Jansen’s short ball barrage did the rest.

The young 21-year-old showed a lot of heart in the flat batting track, hurrying up every single one of the Kiwi batters, forcing them to play false shots against the rising ball. Kyle Jamieson - NZ’s best lower order batsman struggled thoroughly against Jansen’s bounce and got out in desperation of trying to hit one out of the park. First innings’ centurion, de Grandhomme was caught at leg gully after setting a leg side trap - one that clearly played tricks with the batsman’s mind.

A little rain in the final overs of the lunch session delayed the victory, but SA did get there at the end with 198 runs remaining. Kagiso Rabada was awarded man of the match for his exceptional all round ability in the second Test, as South Africa managed to defeat the Kiwis at their home after five years.