NEW DELHI:
Kane Williamson
, New Zealand's leading Test run-scorer, and
Tim Southee
, their second-highest wicket-taker in the format, both donned their
100th Test
caps on Friday during the
ICC World Test Championship
series against Australia in Christchurch.
The Black Caps are aiming for their first Test victory against their trans-Tasman rivals since 2011 and will be looking towards stalwarts Kane Williamson and Tim Southee to mark this momentous occasion with significant contributions on the field.
Southee and Williamson join an elite group of just five other Black Caps players who have reached the prestigious milestone of 100 Test matches.
Interestingly, the two veterans had previously been teammates at the ICC Men's U19 Cricket World Cup in 2008, where their team reached the semi-finals before bowing out to eventual champions, India. While Southee had already made his senior international debut in the T20I format prior to the U19 World Cup, Williamson had to wait until 2010 to make his Test debut. However, since then, he has rapidly ascended across formats to become one of New Zealand's greatest-ever batters.
Reflecting on Williamson's potential greatness early in his career, former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting recalled a conversation with Brendon McCullum during Kane's first tour to Australia. McCullum expressed his belief in Williamson's future, predicting him to be a hundred Test match player and one of the best batters in the world. McCullum's prophecy came to fruition as Williamson walked out with Southee for his 100th Test match.
Williamson's career has indeed been remarkable, amassing 8675 runs in Tests, well ahead of Ross Taylor, and boasting an average of 55.25 in the format. Furthermore, no other active player has more Test centuries than Williamson's 32.
Meanwhile, Tim Southee has scalped 378 Test wickets and is on the brink of surpassing
Richard Hadlee
's tally for the most Test wickets by a Kiwi bowler, needing just over 50 wickets to achieve this feat.
Ahead of the Test match, opposition skipper
Pat Cummins
praised Southee's longevity and consistency, acknowledging the challenge he poses to batsmen. Cummins also lauded Williamson's stature as a prized wicket across all formats, highlighting the significance of the duo in New Zealand cricket.
(With inputs from ANI)
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