Ross Taylor ended the ultimate test with his best stroke of the match – a dismissive flick over square leg for four – but it was a shot that had its genesis two years earlier.
"The 2019 World Cup was very tough for us, but this makes up for it," Taylor said, referencing the heartbreaking day at Lord's where they lost the CWC final on a boundary countback despite the match ending in a tie.
Taylor took that result hard. Earlier he had earmarked that tournament as a potential career swansong, but it instead hardened his resolve to add some silverware, some heft, to a glittering career.
The veteran batsman had the honour of scoring the winning runs in his 108th and most important test. He had the joy of doing it 22 yards away from Kane Williamson, with whom he has formed the greatest No 3-4 punch in New Zealand history.