Set to play his 100th Test, star New Zealand batsman Kane Williamson on Wednesday recollected the “surreal” feeling he had on being surrounded by legendary Indian cricketers, including the iconic Sachin Tendulkar, during his debut Test in Ahmedabad in 2010.
The 33-year-old Williamson, who made 131 in New Zealand’s first innings in that drawn Ahmedabad Test, will be completing a century of Tests in the second game against Australia beginning here on Friday.
“I remember walking out and looking around the field and seeing all my heroes. I used to love playing backyard cricket as a youngster, and all those guys were in that team which I would try and select,” Williamson said.
“It was Tendulkar and (VVS) Laxman and (Rahul) Dravid, and it was kind of
like, ‘How am I here? I’d better start watching the ball and try and compete’.
“It was quite surreal. I remember being quite eager to try and get into the opposition’s dressing room and chat to some of those guys if I could.”
In that Test, Virender Sehwag made 173, while Dravid scored 104 and Tendulkar
40 in India’s first-innings total of 487.
Ninety-nine Tests and more than 10 years later, Williamson said he is still learning.
Written with PTI inputs
