What differentiates Kane Wiliamson from a lot of batsmen in this day and age is his sole focus is winning the game and he tailors his batting towards that, writes former New Zealand captain in his column.
With spin expected to have an impact on the outcome of the opening Test starting in Kanpur on Thursday, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson is hoping that the lessons learnt during the World Twenty20 in India will help his side's spinners counter the hosts. New Zealand had reached the semi-finals of World T20 and Mitchel Santner (4/11 in 4 overs) had recorded the best figures for a Kiwi spinner in Twenty20s en route to their knock out stage appearance. Those figures had come for a winning cause against India in Nagpur and he was well supported by Ish Sodhi, who took three wickets in that match. These two spinners -- Santner and Sodhi -- will challenge the Indian batting line-up in this Test series.
Kane Williamson hit a brilliant 123 as New Zealand staved off Pakistan's spirited challenge to eke out a series-levelling seven-run victory in the fourth one-day international in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
Williamson has a chance to topple Kohli at the top of the rankings.
Rohit has managed just one half-century in his last eight innings in which he has tallied 104 runs. Kohli's freefall in Test cricket continues. He has fallen to spin three times in the first two Tests. Ashwin, usually, dominant at home, managed just six wickets in the first two Tests at an average of 43.
A modest New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson has said his team was "fortunate" to be playing on similar wickets after pulling off a dramatic victory over Australia in the ICC World Twenty20 in Dharamsala on Friday.
Rookie batsman Kane Williamson and pacer Hamish Bennett were the new faces in New Zealand's 15-member Test squad announced on Sunday for a three Test match series against India next month.
NZ face WI in virtual knockout, rain threatens to derail England again
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson doffed his cap to pacer Mohammed Shami and the India team after his side was outplayed in the World Cup semi-final.
Ravi Bishnoi stole the show on Sunday night.
Despite the glossiness of their victory over New Zealand, Indian captain Rohit Sharma was candid enough to admit that the team felt a few strands of pressure going into the World Cup semifinal in Mumbai on Wednesday.
New Zealand made 152 for 1 in their first innings, when play was called off early because of rain, on Day 2 of the first cricket Test against India in Kanpur on Friday.
With less than 100 days to go to the Twenty20 World Cup in Sri Lanka, New Zealand batsman Kane Williamson feels that cricketing powerhouse India will be amongst the favourites to lift the trophy.
Bangladesh scored 245 for nine against New Zealand in their ICC Men's ODI World Cup match in Chennai on Friday.
'Dhoni will never go to a player and ask him what field you want.' 'He will want the player to learn from his own mistakes.' 'Rohit will put his arm around your shoulder and tell you, "This is what is expected from you, you can do this".'
Kane Williamson produced some brilliant placement under pressure to guide New Zealand to a five-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in their second Twenty20 international at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Tuesday.
India dominates ICC Test Rankings
McCullum was 143 not out at the close of play, his eighth Test century, while Williamson was dismissed after tea for 113, his fifth hundred, as the Kiwis finished the opening day on a strong 329 for four in 90 overs.
New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson said his team were 20 to 25 runs short when they slipped to a seven-wicket defeat in Wednesday's World Twenty20 semi-final against England.
India found themselves in real danger of losing the first Test against New Zealand, in Ahmedabad after a top-order collapse left them reeling at 82 for six in their second innings on Sunday.
IMAGES from the Indian Premier League match played between Gujarat Titans and Punjab Kings in Ahmedabad, on Thursday.
Kane Williamson scored his fifth century in eight Tests in 2015 to guide New Zealand to a five-wicket victory over Sri Lanka before lunch on the fourth day of the second Test at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Monday.
Prolific India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, the leading run-scorer in the ongoing Test series against England, has been nominated for ICC Men's Player of the Month Award for February alongside New Zealand's Kane Williamson and Sri Lanka's Pathum Nissanka.
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson's continuation in the ongoing IPL season is under doubt after suffering a right knee injury during his team's winning effort against Chennai Super Kings in Ahmedabad on Friday.
New Zealand's campaign has hit a disheartening flatline after their early domination and the Kiwis will have to rediscover their bowling mojo for a World Cup reboot when they face knocked-out Sri Lanka in Bengaluru on Thursday.
After England collapsed from 288 for five to 302 all out, New Zealand initially struggled in reply before Williamson and Taylor took the game away from the hosts with a clinical 206-run third-wicket stand.
Having already played their opening encounters in the ongoing cricket World Cup, it is time for New Zealand and the Netherlands to venture deep into the tournament as they face each other in Hyderabad on Monday.
R Ashwin is always up for a challenge and two days from his landmark 100th Test, India's premier off-spinner looked back at the on-field battles he has enjoyed in international and domestic cricket.
Rachin Ravindra, who reached the half century mark for the second time in his short test career and was 56 not out at stumps, will resume on day four alongside Daryl Mitchell, who was unbeaten on 12, in a partnership worth 52 runs.
Travis Head last played in the IPL in 2017 for Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Pant was appointed as the Delhi Capitals skipper following the injury to regular captain Shreyas Iyer,
Batsman Kane Williamson has been given the opportunity to flex his captaincy credentials after being named to lead New Zealand in their one-day international and Twenty20 series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates.
Devon Conway scored a half-century to guide New Zealand to a seven-run victory over South Africa in a rain-affected World Cup warm-up game on Monday.
Kane Williamson staged a fight-back along with opener Tom Latham (36), and Ross Taylor (26) as New Zealand reached 140 for 2 (42 overs) at close of play on Day 2 of the 2nd Test at the WACA in Perth on Saturday.
The mountain of runs being scored in the Indian Premier League shows Twenty20 cricket is changing and bowlers must move with the times or be left behind, New Zealand paceman Tim Southee said.
South Africa skittled New Zealand's tail to dismiss their hosts for 211 and take a shock first-innings lead of 31 runs on day two of the second Test at Seddon Park on Wednesday.
Hailing Virat Kohli as the "comeback king," former Indian opener Aakash Chopra said with his 'Player of the Tournament' performance in the ICC Cricket World Cup last year, Kohli "reinvented the wheel".
Star India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant heaped praise on youngster Yashasvi Jaiswal and said that the 22-year-old is someone who stays in the present and doesn't think about the future.
Defending champions Chennai Super Kings clash against Gujarat Titans in a repeat of last season's final in the IPL 2024 match in Chennai on Tuesday.
KL Rahul got instant success as captain of Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL and he put it mainly down to trusting his instincts, something he didn't do enough in his initial days as a leader.
