Grace and dignity are the two words that sum up Kane Williamson as captain.
In victory or defeat [remember the excruciatingly painful World Cup final setback] these qualities shine through in this marvellous cricketer.
Level-headed
A captain and a leader of men, Williamson was typically level-headed after a crushing 10-wicket win over India. No bold talk, just common sense.
The Kiwi skipper said, “We know the quality of India and what they bring all around the world. We were aware of that challenge but were trying to focus on the areas that were important to us — our plans, our roles.”
Williamson said, “Our performance, across the board, was a very good one on a surface that I thought created a good balance between bat and ball.
“There were handy contributors with the bat too, it was a really brilliant all-round game for us.”
He complimented his pacemen. “These guys, especially this morning, put the ball in the right areas. There wasn't the sort of wind that we expect here in Wellington but we got a bit of shape and created opportunities. Throughout the match there was something [in the pitch] to keep us interested.”
On the Kiwi plan to ‘choke’ the Indian batsmen, he said, “You’re always trying to execute a plan and the bowlers were superb which allowed you to put fielders in areas where you could create something.
“It’s always nice to put a guy somewhere and have them hit it there and you get a wicket.”
Williamson said, “The lower-order partnerships were quite important to get that 183-run lead. Those late cameos really helped.”
Making things happen
On employing the short ball successfully, Man-of-the-Match Tim Southee said, “Neil [Wagner] usually does that for us and he is a great exponent of it. Without him, it was about trying things when the game was sitting in balance and not much was happening.”
Southee said, “Being a swing bowler helps, and being able to swing the ball is always handy when it is windy.”
Swing was the theme at the Basin.