New Zealand pacer Tim Southee has announced that he would be bidding adieu to the longest format after the upcoming three-match Test series against England. The pacer has clearly stated that the three-Test series against England would be his swansong, unless the BlackCaps qualify for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final next June. He has also stated that after the England series, he will make a decision on whether he has one final white-ball series left in him against Sri Lanka after Christmas.
Southee is currently New Zealand’s all-time leading international wicket-taker (770). He is the only player in the world to have more than 300 Test wickets, 200 ODI wickets and 100 T20I wickets.
The 35-year-old was recently a part of New Zealand squad that inflicted a series whitewash against India. The BlackCaps managed to stun the hosts 3-0. Before the series against India, Tim Southee decided to step down as New Zealand Test skipper, and he officially gave over the reins to Tom Latham.
Southee, has played 104 Tests so far, taking 385 wickets at an average of 29.88. Over the course of his career, the right-arm seamer has delivered some memorable spells, and we will now be looking at his top five spells in the longest format of the game.
Tim Southee’s top five spells in Test cricket
1. 7/64 vs India, Bengaluru (2012)
This is arguably one of the greatest spells an overseas bowler has ever bowled on Indian soil. In India’s first innings, Southee got the better of Gautam Gambhir, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni, Zaheer Khan and Pragyan Ojha. However, this spell was not enough for New Zealand as the batting performance let down the visitors at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
2. 6/68 vs Sri Lanka, Wellington (2018)
In favourable conditions for seamers in Wellington, Southee wreaked havoc against the Sri Lanka batters. During his spell, he want on to dismiss Danushka Gunathilaka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal and Lahiru Kumara. However, this effort was not enough to help New Zealand register a win as Sri Lanka put up a spirited display with the bat in their second innings.
3. 6/43 vs England, Lord’s (2021)
Tim Southee etched his name on the Lord’s honours board for a second time with a masterclass in swing bowling. His spell of 6/43 during the first Test of New Zealand’s 2021 tour of England was a key factor in restricting England to 275 in their first innings. Southee’s relentless probing swing bowling on a helpful pitch demonstrated his exceptional control and talent with the moving ball. This performance was instrumental in New Zealand securing a draw and eventually winning the series.
4. 5/69 vs India, Kanpur (2021)
On a pitch that was assisting spinners and had nothing for the seamers, Tim Southee showed the world the amount of class he truly has. Taking the pitch completely out of the equation, Southee managed to fox batters like Cheteshwar Pujara, Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Wriddhiman Saha and Axar Patel. The match is still remembered by the masses as Ajaz Patel and Rachin Ravindra held on, in the final hour to help New Zealand walk away with a memorable draw.
5. 5/35 vs South Africa, Christchurch (2022)
Under favourable conditions, Southee rocked the Proteas batting lineup. In the second innings, the right-arm fast bowler dismissed the likes of Sarel Rewee, Aiden Markram, Kyle Verreynne, Kagiso Rabada and Glenton Stuurman. New Zealand dismissed the Proteas for 111 in the second innings, and in the end, the hosts registered a comprehensive victory by an innings and 276 runs.
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