Kane Williamson’s return to form in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup must gladden the hearts of the Kiwi fans while their Indian counterparts would be a little worried in anticipation of the forthcoming tour to New Zealand for T20Is and ODIs. The series will be streamed live on Prime Video. The Kiwis became the first team to qualify for the semi-final of the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Williamson came into the match against Ireland with a patchy form but found his mojo at the right time with a match-defining score of 61 off just 35 deliveries. This proved, once again, his immense value to the team as both captain and a batter.
His compatriot, former cricketer and commentator Danny Morrison praised Kane Williamson’s calmness and consistency on Prime Video’s six-part mini-series Taking Guard: India’s Quest for Kiwi Glory, giving the fans a ring side view into the storied rivalry between India and New Zealand. He also had a warning for the Indians.
Danny Morrison said on Taking Guard: India’s Quest for Kiwi Glory:
“I think Kane Williamson has done that in terms of broader picture of him soothing and calming the way he goes about his job. He is just so consistent. When you have a captain like that who is Mr Consistent, and the Aussies will always tell you they want to cut the head of the snake, get the captain out and then get in like hyenas, I think Williamson is definitely that.
“While others have gone with their style of play, there is no doubt that Williamson has always been solid at number 3. Whether it’s batting in Test matches or batting in the middle order in ODIs or be it opening in T20Is, he brings a calming influence. That’s why he’s key in this India tour.”
Intro video from Amazon Prime for India vs New Zealand series. pic.twitter.com/Hd4ijzJcKJ
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) November 3, 2022
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I think that we got a bit of variation – New Zealand pacer Tim Southee
However, Kane Williamson was the sole hero of the win that ensured the Kiwis remained top of the table in their group. Tim Southee, who leads New Zealand’s attack with the ball and bagged two wickets in this match, stressed on the variety of the bowling line-up and the extra dimension that Lockie Ferguson’s presence brings to the side. Southee also became the leading wicket taker in the T20I format recently, with his 129 wickets in 103 international games.
Tim Southee said on Taking Guard: India’s Quest for Kiwi Glory:
“I think that we got a bit of variation. We got left arm, right arm. We have got a guy that can ball one of the fastest balls in the world in Lockie Ferguson. I think he is a massive point of difference to the side. So you, I think, just variations that we’ve got and you throw in a couple of good spinners as well. And I guess we try and pride ourselves on, I guess, our cricket smarts and being able to adapt to different conditions, different surfaces. Not only New Zealand, but around the world.”
Lockie Ferguson got three Ireland wickets for 22 runs in his four overs to put any hopes of an Ireland upset to rest. Meanwhile, the Men in Blue will open their encounter with three T20Is from November 18 to November 22, followed by the three ODIs being played through November 25 to November 30.
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