India vs New Zealand 2016: Top performers from New Zealand's last tour to India
India would kick start their 2016-17 home season with a three-match Test series against New Zealand, the squad for which is likely to be picked on September 12. The games would be held at the Green Park, Kanpur (September 22-26), the Eden Gardens, Kolkata (September 30-October 4) and the Holkar Stadium, Indore (October 8-12). Currently placed 2nd in the ICC Test Rankings, India would look to clinch the top spot, to which they came tantalisingly close, before eventually losing out to Pakistan, as the last Test of the previous series that they played – against the West Indies was abandoned due to a wet outfield.
However, their quest for the No. 1 spot is not going to be laid with roses, as a tough New Zealand side would look to win a Test series in the subcontinent, a feat that not many teams from outside the Asian realms have been able to achieve. The last time that the Kiwis toured India, their performance was disappointing, to say the least, as they were clean swept in the two-test series 2-0, but did manage to salvage some pride by winning the T20 series 1-0.
However, there were some promising performances by the New Zealanders in that series as well, the four best of which have been enlisted below.
#4 Kane Williamson
New Zealand’s best batsman today was only a 22-year-old youngster who had made his Test debut during the 2010 tour to the subcontinent when New Zealand last toured India in 2012. However, regardless of his age, Williamson impressed in the series scoring 114 runs from 2 Tests with one half-century.
His top score of 52 came in the second innings of the first Test in Hyderabad, wherein New Zealand were following on after their first innings debacle, as they were bowled out for 159 in reply to India’s mammoth first innings total of 438. However, Williamson’s fifty was not enough for the Kiwis, as they failed to save the game and were bowled out for 164 in the second innings, thereby losing the match by an innings and 115 runs.
Since then, however, Williamson’s career has progressed by leaps and bounds and he is currently rated amongst the best Test batsmen in the world, alongside Virat Kohli, Joe Root and Steven Smith. The 26-year-old would also be leading his team this time, and the added pressure of captaining the side may affect his batting. However, considering the class player that Williamson is, he must be able to handle the two jobs assigned to him simultaneously.