For Kane, only size of his scores matter

AUCKLAND: Kane Williamson almost looks out of place in a pack of big boys and power hitters; maybe that's why he doesn't make it into New Zealand's T20 squad, despite being one of their most prolific batsmen with a healthy strike rate of 79 in one-dayers and almost 120 in the shortest format.

He remains unfazed though, even defiant in his socks, at about 5 feet six inches. "I am bigger than you," he snapped, when asked to reflect on his height, not even waiting for the rest of the question: Do you see it as an advantage, especially considering that the game's great bats have mostly been on the smaller side?

"The last time I looked up the internet, I am average height," he quipped. "But yes we've got some big boys in the team. They hit the ball a long way. But I have a role in the side, and I try to do what is needed of me."

Williamson, barely 23, has been a hallmark of consistency, even emerging as New Zealand's most reliable batsman in just four years. "I don't think I am the best player in the side. Ross (Taylor) probably is, and he has shown that in the last two games. But yeah, I enjoy batting at No. 3. It's an important position."

He racked up his fifth century on Thursday in difficult conditions, but rates his defining 102 in the fourth innings against a rampaging South African attack in 2012 as his most satisfying. "It's always a challenge," he said, about his mental fortitude. "It's something you learn a lot by playing more and more cricket. It is great watching some of the greats at work, you learn by seeing how they conduct themselves.

Williamson has been in fine fettle against India, carving out five 50s in five games and scoring 113 in the ongoing Test at Eden Park. "The key is to understand your game," he said. "You then adapt it as per the need. You try and achieve something similar to the bloke next to you who can hit it 120 metres," he said, explaining how he manages to keep pace with the hitters.

The 'little one' is, not surprisingly, one of the finer players of spin, not wary of leaving the safety of the crease to pluck the gap or get the runs. "I don't know if I've mastered spin. There's still plenty of work to do," he pointed out, modestly.

"But yes, I do play spin a little differently from some of the other boys in the team. I am a believer that footwork is important to my kind of game, and that's how I try to achieve my goal, to play against spin."

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Shweta Pandey

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