'He's mad!' - New Zealand's Neil Wagner hailed as 'inspiration' for bowling with fractured toe

New Zealand pacer Neil Wagner is being hailed as a hero after the Black Caps won the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan at the Bay Oval by 101 runs. Wagner defied all the odds and shrugged off the pain of two broken toes to help New Zealand win the first Test against Pakistan and become the number one ranked Test side in the world for the first time.

Wagner suffered fractures in two toes after a Shaheen Afridi yorker left him in pain during New Zealand’s first innings. However, Wagner took the field and bowled for his country to help them win the Test match in incredible fashion. Wagner finished the match with four wickets despite having two fractured toes in his right foot. The Kiwi was cleared to play by the medics given he could bear the pain of fractured toes – something which he did.

Wagner dismissed a well-settled Fawad Alam for 102 during a marathon 11-over spell on the fifth day to put the hopes of Pakistan team of winning or drawing the match to bed. New Zealand ended up winning the Test by 101 runs with just 27 deliveries remaining from the close.

"People talk about the size of his heart in terms of what he does on the cricket field, but to have a couple of broken toes, and he was in a lot of pain - I want to be careful here because he's probably going to listen to this (laughs) - but he was in a lot of pain," Williamson said after the end of the first Test against Pakistan. "He was going off and getting injections and numbing his foot. We tried to use him when the injection was taking effect. It was kind of unique for all of us.

"His appetite and motivation to be out there and try and make a difference for the team is huge. I think we haven't seen any bigger than the effort he put in across this Test match with a couple of broken toes. He just kept running in, and obviously, it had an impact on his ability to operate at 100% but he still came in and got the breakthrough like he does for us so often when he's at full strength. A very, very special effort from Wags, one that the team appreciated. We needed him out there, and he delivered."

Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan also echoed Williamson’s views as he said his attitude sets him apart from others.

“I just told him he’s mad. He’s a different guy. His attitude is everything, his aggression is very beautiful,” Rizwan said.

Here's how social media reacted to Neil Wagner shrugging off the pain to bowl for New Zealand:

Whereas Wagner said that he takes a lot of pride in pulling off something like this as he knows Test matches don’t come easy. The Kiwi speedster added that he never wants to sit on the sidelines and watch other people grind it out for the team.

"I do take a lot of pride in something like that," Wagner said about bowling through the pain. "But it comes down to the team. There's still a way of contributing for them. I wouldn't be wanting to sit on the side with my foot up and watching the boys doing the hard work out there, and I can't be there to help out. I feel I'll be left out, I have a bit of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). Injuries happen and it's unlucky, but I can still walk, I can still do things, I can run. It's not going to stop me. It's sore and it's uncomfortable but it's just one of those things you have to deal with.

"Test matches don't come easy. Playing for your country is never anything you can take for granted. I know how bloody hard I had to work to get to where I am now and I'm sure as hell not going to sit on the side and watch other people do it. I want to be part of it and playing my part. Unless they carry me off on a stretcher, I'm going to try and do everything I can, I guess."

New Zealand will look to carry the winning momentum when they take the field for the second and final Test against Pakistan from January 3 at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch.