NZ vs AUS: After Ashwin and Bairstow, New Zealand stalwarts Kane Williamson and Tim Southee mark 100th Test appearance together

Kane Williamson and Tim Southee on March 8 (Friday) became the 5th and 6th New Zealand cricketers to feature in 100 Test matches. Williamson and Southee's momentous occasion came when the duo walked out on the field against Australia in the second Test match at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch. It was the fifth instance in Test history that two or more players featured in their 100th Test in the same match.

On March 7 (Thursday), India's Ravichandran Ashwin and England's Jonny Bairstow marked their 100th Test appearance in the ongoing fifth Test between India and England in Dharamsala.

Players to feature in the 100th Test together:

Michael Atherton and Alec Stewart of England were the trailblazers, reaching their 100th Test match together in the year 2000. This milestone was then uniquely shared by three players - Jacques Kallis and Shaun Pollock from South Africa, along with New Zealand's Stephen Fleming - in a single Test match in 2006.

The tradition continued in 2013 when England's Alastair Cook and Michael Clarke of Australia both celebrated their 100th Tests in the same match. Ravichandran Ashwin and Jonny Bairstow join this prestigious list by marking their centenary Test appearances together.

Kane Williamson and Tim Southee became the latest duo to etch their names in this exclusive list.

List of New Zealand cricketers to play 100 Tests:

Ross Taylor: 112
Daniel Vettori: 112
Stephen Fleming: 111
Brendon McCullum: 101
Tim Southee: 100*
Kane Williamson: 100*

A delightful moment ahead of 2nd Test

Before the commencement of the second Test match against Australia, New Zealand cricket icons Kane Williamson and Tim Southee made a memorable entrance onto the field, each accompanied by their children. These two stalwarts have been instrumental in shaping the success of New Zealand cricket, notably leading the team to victory in the first-ever World Test Championship.

During the match at Hagley Oval, the crowd rose to their feet, applauding Williamson as he made his way to the crease. Despite the warm reception, Williamson faced a challenging time at the bat and was dismissed by Josh Hazlewood after scoring 17 runs from 37 deliveries on a challenging Christchurch pitch.

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