When Test cricket comes into play, there is a lot of talk about former New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson’s batting and how he compares to other players in the ‘Fab 4’ of Test cricket. The likes of Joe Root, Steve Smith, and Virat Kohli are often compared to each other in terms of performances with the bat in red-ball cricket.
Kane, however, dismissed the comparison in a conversation ahead of his side’s one-off Test against Afghanistan at the Greater Noida Stadium in India, which is scheduled to start on September 9.
Williamson lauds Joe Root’s Test cricket displays
The 34-year-old said that he doesn’t really pay heed to these comparisons and even praised his English counterpart Joe Root, who has been having a splendid spell with the bat in Test cricket recently.
“You mentioned Joe Root, he’s just been something else for a period of time, and obviously, a lot of the discussion around what he might be able to achieve in a number of years, and it’s just incredible that conversation can even be had. So yeah, he has been phenomenal, and obviously, I’m a big fan of his and have enjoyed watching not just his, but also those other guys you mentioned. Amazing players who have all moved the game forward in a big way,” said Williamson on comparisons with the ‘Fab Four.’
New role for Kane Williamson
Kane’s record in India isn’t bad with the batter scoring 871 runs in 13 matches with an average of 37.86.
“I suppose in the Test setup, Tim’s been captain for near a couple of years now. But yeah, it’s an adjustment. But at the same time, there’s still a role there within the team, and that is a leadership capacity. I really enjoy playing for New Zealand. And so it’s another opportunity to be back here in India, although not playing India, obviously playing Afghanistan,” Williamson said on playing a different role for NZ.
When asked how he feels about playing back-to-back Test matches in the World Test Championship (WTC), Kane said, “In some ways, it’s like tournament sport, isn’t it? Even though it’s over a longer period of time in the Test Championship, the value of games is high. The context around Test cricket with the Test Championship is really key and has brought out a lot of really exciting games. And so naturally, having six Test matches together is a big part of our Test Championship calendar, and one that we’re excited about. You know, such a volume of Test cricket that we don’t usually get, and obviously, in this part of the world.”
Playing in unfamiliar conditions
The Kiwis will be playing in unfamiliar conditions this time, and with their last Test match having been played some time ago, Kane and his teammates will have to adjust as soon as possible coming into the match.
“No, I think it’s absolutely about trying to adjust your game because we’re not here consistently in this format, and it goes quite long intervals without playing here. So, you know, it is trying to familiarise yourself again, and for us, our last Test match was 6 or 8 months ago or something. So, you know, as a team, it’s really about connecting with that again as a red-ball group and looking to apply our skills and plans as well as we can. Obviously, it will be different,” Williamson said.
“Not having a lot of Test cricket here, no doubt the spinners will play a big role, as they often do in this part of the world. So yeah, for us, it’ll be just about adjusting as well as we can,” he added.
New additions to the coaching staff
With the likes of Vikram Rathour and Rangana Herath joining the coaching staff, Williamson is positive that it marks the start of a new and exciting relationship that can help the team grow in the future.
“Obviously, it really brings experience to the team. They are knowledgeable coaches, certainly in this part of the world. So, obviously, we sort of got together as a group yesterday. It’s new into the relationship, but they’re really getting involved and trying to help out as much as they can,” Williamson said.
First Published: Sep 07 2024 | 3:28 PM IST
