Ind vs NZ 2021: Can Kane Williamson shine with the bat to guide his side to their maiden series triumph on Indian soil?
When one talks about classical batsmanship in Test cricket, one name that immediately comes to mind is that of New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson. The 31-year-old has been the fulcrum of the Blackcaps batting for nearly a decade, ably shouldering the responsibilities of New Zealand batting in all conditions across the globe.
Batting in Test matches is like a war of attrition where one has to weather the storm to clinically diffuse the opposition’s bowling. While Test cricket allows mavericks like Kevin Pietersen and David Warner to flourish, it quintessentially rewards valor and one’s ability to survive during tough times.
In an era of T20 cricket where plundering the bowlers has become the norm, the classical art of batting has become old-fashioned and obsolete these days. The name "Test Cricket" aptly describes the format. It is not only the test of one’s skills and abilities but also of one's virtues of patience and resilience.
The two-match Test series between India and New Zealand gets underway in Kanpur on Thursday (November 25). The onus will once again be on Williamson to deliver with the bat in spin-friendly conditions as the Kiwis aim to achieve their maiden Test series victory on Indian soil.
Can Kane Williamson bat New Zealand to victory in the upcoming two-match Test Series?
One of the features of Kane Williamson’s batting is his ability to play the ball late. His virtue of closely observing the ball and playing it late should help him in spades against the Indian spinners.
Off-late, Kane Williamson has been in impressive form in Test cricket. His knocks of 49 and 52 not out against India in difficult conditions at Southampton in the World Test Championship final should give him a lot of confidence ahead of the first Test in Kanpur.
However, Williamson’s numbers against India in India are well below par in comparison to his overall stats. The right-handed batsman has returned with 461 runs off his 7 Test matches at an average of 35.46 so far played on Indian soil.
While Williamson made an outstanding start to his Test career by scoring a century (131) in his debut innings in Ahmedabad in 2010, the Kiwi batsman failed to notch-up the three-figure mark thereafter in India.
He will need to improve that record this time around by scoring a couple of hundreds if he fancies guiding his side to their maiden Test series victory on Indian soil.
Except for Ross Taylor and Tom Latham, New Zealand possess an inexperienced batting line-up, especially considering the spin-friendly wickets that will be on offer in the two-match Test series.
While Williamson’s record in India might be below par, his numbers in Test matches in Asia are certainly impressive. He has accumulated 1545 runs off 19 Test matches played in Asia, scoring them at a remarkable average of 48.72.
The Blackcaps captain can draw inspiration from former England captain Alastair Cook, who was instrumental and exceptional with the bat in guiding his team to a series win on Indian soil back in 2012.
As far as Williamson is concerned, with the ball turning away from him, his key battle will be against left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja. With his experience and variety, Jadeja can create an awful lot of problems for the New Zealand skipper.
If Williamson manages to negate Indian spinners, especially Jadeja, he certainly would have got half the job done to put up decent totals on the board for his side.
Williamson is a good player of spin and the heart and soul of New Zealand's batting line-up. He certainly possesses the right mindset and temperament to exceptionally flourish on Indian soil like his peers Steve Smith and Joe Root have done in the past.