Former New Zealand captain Kane Williamson has expressed his admiration for Joe Root, lauding the England batter's remarkable achievements in Test cricket. Williamson highlighted Root's consistent performances, which have positioned him to break some of the game's most significant records.
Speaking to reporters in Greater Noida ahead of New Zealand's one-off Test against Afghanistan, Williamson downplayed discussions about the ‘Fab Four’. He expressed his enjoyment in watching Root, Virat Kohli, and Steve Smith bat in Test cricket. For years, these four players have dominated red-ball cricket, with Root recently surpassing the others due to his exceptional form in the last four years.
Kane Williamson Downplays Fab Four chatter
Joe Root recently surpassed Alastair Cook's record for most Test centuries by an England player, scoring double centuries in both innings of a Test against Sri Lanka. Root's remarkable consistency, having achieved 17 centuries in both his first nine years and the last four years, has solidified his position as one of the greatest Test batsmen of all time. When asked if the discussions about the ‘Fab Four’ serve as motivation for him to push harder, Williamson replied, “Not really, no.”
"You mentioned Joe Root. He has been something else for a long period of time. Obviously, there is a lot of attention on what he might be able to achieve in a number of years and it’s just incredible that that conversion can even be had. He has been phenomenal. I have been a big fan of his. Not just him, but the other guys as well, amazing how they have sort of moved the game forward in a big way," Williamson further stated.
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Kane Williamson has amassed 32 centuries in his Test career, demonstrating his consistent ability to score big runs. In the last four years alone, Williamson has hit nine centuries, further highlighting his exceptional batting prowess.
Williamson Acknowledges Tough Test Schedule Ahead
Kane Williamson expressed his awareness of the challenging Test schedule that awaits New Zealand in the coming months. The champions of the inaugural World Test Championship will be playing six Tests in three months, primarily in the subcontinent. Following the one-off Test against Afghanistan, New Zealand will travel to Sri Lanka for a two-Test series from September 16 to 30. Subsequently, they will return to India to face Rohit Sharma's team in a three-Test series from October 16 to November 5.
"I mean, we are absolutely going to be challenged in a number of ways. But, the opportunity to have a block here for us as a team to look have the sort of experiences that we are going to have for the next sort of two-and-a-half months and be better for it. It’s an exciting opportunity. Nice to be here, preparing for the first Test. We are looking to take those small steps and try and get familiar with those conditions," he said.
"In some ways, it’s like a tournament sport, even though it’s over a long period of time in the Test championship. Naturally, having six Test matches together is a big part of our calendar. It’s one that we are very excited about," Williamson concluded.
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