A star name is necessary for non-India matches to pull the crowd during the ongoing World Cup. If it is one among the so-called contemporary ‘Fab Four’ of batters, then it sure helps fill up at least half the stadium.
One could see that on Friday when the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium’s 14,000 crowd threw its support behind only one person - Kane Williamson. It was Williamson’s number 22 jersey that was widely seen among the crowd that turned out who got their money’s worth. The 33-year-old played his role as the team’s crisis man to perfection yet again with a superb 78 to help New Zealand chase down 246 against Bangladesh on Friday.
It was as if he picked off from where he left off in his last international game seven months ago (215 vs Sri Lanka in a Test match) and not someone who had to undergo knee surgery in the intervening period.
The batting touch was evident even in the two warm-up games where he scored fine half-centuries. But against Bangladesh, it was the real deal as he walked in at 12 for one with the two left-arm seamers, Shoriful Islam and Mustafizur Rahman, asking some tough questions.
After taking time to get his eye in, Williamson picked off the target methodically, finding boundaries at the opportune times to set his team on the path of victory. It marked a remarkable comeback for Williamson, who was not even sure he would play the tournament after his surgery in April.
Unfortunately, just as he was nearing another international century, he copped a blow on his left hand from a throw and retired hurt.
On Saturday, an X-ray confirmed an undisplaced fracture on his left thumb, forcing him out of action for another few matches. However, he will be with the squad, hoping to return for the back end of the group stage with Tom Blundell flying to India as a cover for the skipper.
For a country with about 5.2 million population, New Zealand might have more fans outside its borders and is most non-New Zealanders’ second favourite team. And Williamson’s demeanour has a role to play in it. The remarkable grace with which he led his team as they dealt with a heartbreaking defeat in the 2019 final against England on the boundaries countback rule showed his class off the pitch as well. For the fans’ sake, one would hope the Kiwi skipper recovers soon enough to participate in cricket’s crown jewel event and continue from where he left off in Chennai.
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