Black Caps bowler Neil Wagner didn't realise he bowled 13 straight overs in Pakistan victory

Black Caps bowler Neil Wagner celebrates a wicket. Photosport

Black Caps pace bowler Neil Wagner has admitted he didn't realise he bowled 13 straight overs in a marathon effort on the final day of his side's remarkable comeback victory over Pakistan in Abu Dhabi.

The Black Caps took a 1-0 lead in the series following a four-run win over the hosts on Monday night, after bowling out Pakistan for 171 on day four.

Wagner didn't get his hands on the ball until half an hour before lunch when Pakistan were 117 for three, just 58 further runs from victory.

The left-armer took the wicket of Asad Shafiq in the final over before the lunch break to give the Black Caps hope before Pakistan crumbled to defeat.

While New Zealand spin bowler Ajaz Patel took most of the plaudits for his 5-59 in the fourth innings, which earned man of the match honours. Wagner quietly went about his work at the other end finishing with 2-27 from his 78 consecutive deliveries.

"It was pretty hard at one stage and with the nature of the wicket obviously being slow and flat it did feel like you're tiring a little bit. I try not to think too much about it or look scoreboard and how many overs I've bowled. When someone mentioned to me afterwards you bowled 13 overs straight, all of a sudden my knees starting feeling tired."

"I was going alright. You're just in a bit of a zone I guess and a bit of a bubble. You sort of keep going with adrenaline, keep ticking and thinking about the job at the moment and not really thinking about how you're feeling. It sort of hits you and about 10 or 11 o'clock at night."

"Good to have a day off. Rest up and get ready for next week."

Wagner rated the test win as one of the highest moments of his 37-test career.

"A pretty awesome feeling and pretty surreal to be honest. A pretty amazing fightback and a pretty amazing test win. We knew we could be in with a chance if we keep fighting and that last hour was quite freakish. We were in the hunt and thought 'something could happen here' and it did. It was a pretty awesome feeling and it took a white to sink in.

"Adrenalin was running high and you thought you couldn't go to bed until late last night."