WTC final: 3 best Neil Wagner Test spells for New Zealand

New Zealand and India will face off in the first-ever World Test Championship final in Southampton on June 18.

Neil Wagner is set to play a crucial role for the Kiwis in the all-important encounter. Along with Trent Boult, Tim Southee and Kyle Jamieson, Wagner will form the New Zealand pace attack in the WTC final.

Therefore, now would be the perfect time for us to go through the left-arm pacer's three best Test spells for New Zealand.

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#3 New Zealand v England, Mount Maunganui, 2019

BJ Watling's double century was the highlight of the first of two Tests on England's 2019 tour of New Zealand. But Neil Wagner's second-innings spell of 5-44 was just as important for the Kiwis.

England were threatening to play down the fifth day and draw the encounter. But Wagner had other ideas. The left-arm seamer cleaned up England's tail, taking all of their final four wickets to hand the Kiwis an innings victory.

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#2 New Zealand v Zimbabwe, Bulawayo, 2016

This time it was Ross Taylor who stole the show with the bat in the first Test of the two-match series between New Zealand and Zimbabwe in 2016. But it was Wagner's first-innings spell of 6-41 that set the stage for his batsmen.

Wagner's short-ball barrage destroyed Zimbabwe, who were bowled out for 164. Riding on Taylor's 173 and centuries from Tom Latham and BJ Watling, New Zealand posted 576.

Though Sean Williams put up a fight in the second innings, scoring a century wasn't enough for Zimbabwe, who lost by an innings and 117 runs.

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#1 New Zealand v West Indies, Wellington, 2017

Neil Wagner's best Test spell for New Zealand came against West Indies in 2017. Wagner started with opener Kraigg Brathwaite and finished with number 11 Shannon Gabriel, picking up seven of West Indies' 10 wickets.

He took just 14.4 overs to return figures of 7-39 as the visitors were bowled out before tea on the first day. Colin De Grandhomme's swashbuckling 74-ball-105 and Tom Blundell's 107 took New Zealand to a healthy total of 520, enough to earn them a win by an innings and 67 runs.

Neil Wagner was named Player of the Match for his first-innings spell.

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New Zealand squad for WTC final: Tom Latham, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Will Young, BJ Watling, Tom Blundell, Colin de Grandhomme, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Ajaz Patel, Trent Boult, Matt Henry