The upcoming one-off Test between New Zealand and Afghanistan will be a contest on several occasions. While it is the first red-ball match between the two teams, it will also be New Zealand’s first neutral Test match in India as well. However, Kane Williamson will be playing without captaincy as well.
“I think it’s absolutely about trying to adjust your game because we’re not here consistently in this format and it goes quite long without playing here,” said Williamson. “So you know it is trying to familiarise yourself again. And for us, our last Test match was 6 or 8 months ago or something. So you know as a team, it’s really about connecting with that again as a red-ball group and looking to apply our skills and plans as well as we can. Obviously, it will be different.”
“Not having a lot of Test cricket here, no doubt the spinners will play a big role as they often do in this part of the world. So yeah, for us, it’ll be just about adjusting as well as we can. It’s really important that we look to grow as a unit. It’s nice and clear on how we want to play over here. We always know that it’s a tough challenge whenever you play in these parts of the world, slightly different from back home. But you know it’s always a great experience playing against a really, really strong side,” he again added.
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However, the positive of having six consecutive Tests in sub-continental conditions is that New Zealand could work on their weaknesses in the games as they are likely to get the time to adapt to the pitches and weather. And Williamson chose to look at the positive side of things as well.
“You know such a volume of Test cricket that we don’t usually get and obviously in this part of the world,” he added. “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.”
“I suppose in the Test setup, Tim’s been captain for nearly a couple of years now. But yeah, it’s an adjustment. But at the same time, there’s still a role there within the team, and that is a leadership capacity. I really enjoy playing for New Zealand. And so it’s another opportunity to be back here in India, although not playing India, obviously playing Afghanistan,” he shared.
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However, Kane Williamson also praised veteran England batter Joe Root who has been scoring runs with ease over the last few years. He was once well behind Williamson, Virat Kohli and Steve Smith in Test centuries, but now he has leapfrogged all of them with his unprecedented sublime form.
“You mentioned Joe Root, he’s just been something else for a period of time, and obviously, a lot of the discussion around what he might be able to achieve in a number of years, and it’s just incredible that conversation can even be had. So yeah he has been phenomenal and obviously I’m a big fan of his and have enjoyed watching not just his but also those other guys you mentioned. Amazing players who have all moved the game forward in a big way,” Kane Williamson concluded.
