'Former New Zealand Captain Kane Williamson Praises Joe Root as Phenomenal'

New Delhi: Former New Zealand Captain Kane Williamson praised England star batter Joe Root for his outstanding performances, particularly in the red-ball format. Root has been making waves in the cricket world with his exceptional batting skills during England's home Test season.

The 33-year-old had smashed three centuries and as many half-centuries in five tests against the West Indies and Sri Lanka before the ongoing third Sri Lanka Test. Root’s heroics have seen him climb to seventh on the all-time test run-scoring list with 12,390 runs at an average of 50.77 in 156 outings.

“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 several years and it’s just incredible that that conversion can even be had. He has been phenomenal,” said Williamson.

“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,” he added.

Kane Williamson himself boasts a sensational Test record with 8,743 runs at an average of 54.98, including 32 centuries in 100 games. “We are absolutely going to be challenged in a number of ways”, said Kane Williamson.

It is worth mentioning that, the former Kiwis Captain looked forward to the block of six consecutive Tests in Asia over the next two months and admitted the tough challenge facing the side. After the one-off Test against Afghanistan, the Kiwis will take on Sri Lanka in two Tests followed by the massive three-match series in India.

“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,” said Williamson.

“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,” he added.

New Zealand last played a red-ball game in March this year against Australia at home, where they suffered a 2-0 whitewash. The one-off Afghanistan will take place on Monday, September 9 at Greater Noida.