This is the T20 era where the adjective elegant isn’t easily associated to batsmen. Run-makers are more important, method doesn’t matter
Kane Willamson
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson reaches his century
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New Delhi: This is the T20 era where the adjective elegant isn’t easily associated to batsmen. Run-makers are more important, method doesn’t matter.
So, in this era it is all the more privilege to watch an elegant batsman score runs like it was to see Kane Williamson in the second ODI against India yesterday. For how consistent he has been across all formats of the game, a surprising stat reveals that before his eighth ODI century that he scored in the Ferozshah Kotla, his previous best in India was an unbeaten 34 against Canada in the 2011 World Cup. Also, 29 was his highest against the Men in Blue in India on the 2010 tour.
In fact, before last night’s game, he managed just 117 in his previous six innings in India, a tally he bettered by a run during his knock as he equalled the number of ODI tons by fellow Kiwi Stephen Fleming. Williamson came out to bat with a wicket down and no runs on board. He began cautiously till the third ball of the third over which he flicked to the boundary for his first four. The template was set — only the bad balls would be punished the good ones blocked and others scored running singles and doubles which would comprise 24 per cent of his 118 runs while 90 would come in 15 boundaries that included a six off Axar Patel.
A partnership of 120 with Tom Latham, followed by 38 and 46-run-stands with Ross Taylor and Corey Anderson respectively ensured that the Kiwis crossed the 200-mark.
He scored 34 off 28 balls from left-arm spinner Patel, followed by 25 off 23 balls from leg-spinner Amit Mishra and eight off five from offie Kedar Jadhav displaying how clear he was to not let the spinner settle down. The feet moved well, so did the sweep against them.
Among the pacers he got the most off Hardik Pandya while Umesh Uadav and Jasprit Bumrah were the ones he looked more circumspect against. It was combination of cramps that he suffered in his nineties, a pitch that slowed down and his team’s slow run rate after losing Taylor and Anderson that brought about his downfall in the 43rd over.
But it was a classy Williamson knock while it lasted and easy on the eye.
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