“I have been a big fan of his”: Kane Williamson hails “phenomenal” Joe Root

Greater Noida (Uttar Pradesh) [India], September 7 (ANI): New Zealand’s seasoned batter, Kane Williamson, lavished praise on England’s Joe Root, who continues to set new benchmarks with his dazzling performances.

In England’s ongoing Test series against Sri Lanka, Root has made the opposition bowlers dance to his tune. In the first two games, Root, a leading member of the ‘Fab Four’ raised his bat three times to celebrate his centuries.

The 33-year-old leapfrogged former England captain Alastair Cook to rewrite the record for most centuries (34) in Test format for the Three Lions. Root is just 82 runs shy of dethroning his friend, Cook, and becoming England’s leading run scorer in the Test format.

The Kiwi star showered praise on Root for the phenomenal display he has produced on the crease. He admitted that he is a fan of the Englishman and the other two members of the ‘Fab Four’, Virat Kohli and Steven Smith.

“You mentioned Joe Root. He has been something else for a long period. There is a lot of attention on what he might be able to achieve in a number of years, and it’s just incredible that that conversion can even be had. He has been phenomenal. I have been a big fan of his. Not just him, but the other guys (Virat Kohli and Steven Smith) as well. Amazing how they have sort of moved the game forward in a big way,” Williamson told reporters while praising Root in Greater Noida.

In the next eight weeks, New Zealand will play six Tests in the subcontinent, beginning with a one-off Test against Afghanistan. Following the conclusion of the Test, New Zealand will travel to Sri Lanka to play two Tests and then return to India for a three-match series.

Williamson is aware that during this period, the Kiwis could be challenged in several ways.

“I mean, we are 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,” he added.

The one-off Test between New Zealand and Afghanistan will begin on Monday at Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex.