IND v NZ | Good all-round performance, but need to back it up at Christchurch, says Kane Williamson
Kane Williamson admits that it was a good all-round performance that helped New Zealand brush India aside by 10 wickets in the opening match, but has called for zero complacency come Christchurch. The Kiwi skipper was particularly pleased with the level of execution from his bowlers.
Ever since bouncing back from the 5-0 T20 drubbing, the Kiwis have been all over their visitors in the three ODIs and now the first Test as well. The hosts crushed India by 10 wickets within four days at the Basin Reserve to go 1-0 up in the two-match series. With this result, the Black Caps have become the first side to beat India in the ICC World Test Championship so far. However, their skipper is not in the mood to relax just yet.
"We can get a little bit carried away thinking about the results. The focus always has been to focus on the right things. Guys were committed to their roles in this game. Any time you play India, it is always a challenge. Come Christchurch, we have to be on our game again. India is the number one side for a reason. It was an all-round game for us. It is important to enjoy this, but also to keep our focus on the next match," Williamson told ANI after the match.
In a windy affair in Wellington, the Kiwis bowled first and dismissed India for just 165, before piling on 348 themselves. They then bowled out the visitors for just 191 in the second innings, meaning they only needed nine runs for the win. As for Williamson, who himself starred with the back with his 89, the most pleasing thing is the level of execution displayed by his team.
"Obviously everyone knows the quality of India. We are certainly aware of the challenge. We were trying to focus on our plans and the performance across the board was a very good one. The best part about bowling performance was consistently putting the ball in the right areas. There was enough there throughout the match to keep you interested. It was pleasing to see such execution," he said.
While Neil Wagner, who has been their best bowler in Tests for the past 12 months, missed the first Test against India due to the birth of his child, he is all set to make a comeback for the next match. This means that Williamson will finally have a fit bowling group at his disposal once again.
"Kyle was brilliant in this game when you reflect back from last week when we had few bowlers out with injury. It is pleasing to see everyone raring to go now," Williamson added.
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