It was in 2010 that a young lad from New Zealand did what is very unexpected from a 19 year old kid– he scored a century on debut against India, at Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad. The worth watching aspect of this century was the way he celebrated, hands raised with a bat in one and the helmet in the other along with a smile that reflected the kid in him. It did not resemble the celebrations that others of his age were doing and the most notable one was the son of the land where the series was being played. But, this century, notified the cricketing world of a future star in the making.
Williamson made his entry into the star sided, yet very inconsistent New Zealand lineup through some strong performances in the domestic tournament. But , unlike others of his generation, he was diverted more towards Test cricket and aimed at the limited overs squad through some strong Test performances whereas the majority go the other way. This style of play just decreases the admiration the player deserves, especially in the present T20 world as the fans prefer the six hitters rather the classical ones. But to the intellectuals of the game, he has already created an ever lasting impression.
He got his chance in the ODIs as the selectors saw a future prospect in him. But, the question remained on how long will they persist with him. He did not let them down and played some valuable innings in the middle order. The key was the ease with which he could score without taking any sort of risk. His useful off spin provided more variety in the bowling departement and this helped him in cementing his place in the squad.
After his consitent performances in ODI cricket, selectors took a brave call and selected him in the T20 side, as well. With his style of batting, it was a gamble. But, what impressed one and all was how he responded to the call. He was in no mood to change his style of batting and showed the world that one can score in this format with thegood cricketing shots.
His class was at show in the recently concluded match against SriLanka, where he was the lone man fighting for the Kiwis.
Through consistent performances, Williamson has just made himself an integral part of the New Zealand line up and he is now, one of the mainstays in the Kiwi batting order.
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