Mount Maunganui [New Zealand], February 4 : New Zealand youngster Rachin Ravindra on Sunday showered praise on Kane Williamson and said that batting alongside the 33-year-old is "very special".
While speaking after the end of day one of the first Test between New Zealand and South Africa, Ravindra said that sharing the pitch with his "idol" Williamson is a "pinch-me" moment for him.
Talking about Williamson's century, the 24-year-old said that it's "unbelievable" that the right-handed batter still smashing a ton.
"Playing alongside Kane is always very special. Sharing the crease with someone I idolise so much, life has come full circle for me. It's a real 'pinch-me' moment. Seeing him go about his business as usual, with his calmness and timing, and the positions he gets himself into, it was pure batting bliss. As a lover of New Zealand cricket, seeing him still score Test hundreds is unbelievable," Ravindra said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
Praising his resilience, the youngster said Williamson became an even better player after coming out of injuries and setbacks.
"You saw it at the World Cup as well. It shows the pure resilience of the man, coming out of all those injuries and setbacks as an even better cricketer. You can see it in his character, work ethic, and the way he gives back to the team. Many guys who've played 15 years of international cricket, they might not have come back like Kane did. He's unbelievable, just a model personality to have around," Ravindra added.
Talking about his performance on day one, Ravindra added that he was "selective in choosing the balls" since Williamson was playing well on the other end.
"The way I batted was my natural way of scoring. On that surface, I had to be a little more selective in choosing the balls to score off. Kane was doing well at the other end, so being able to lean on him in the partnership was great," he added.
As the day progressed at Bay Oval, the batting conditions became more suitable but South Africa continued to create openings. Rachin edged the ball and saw the Proteas bowler Duanne Olivier getting both his hands to the ball but couldn't get a hold of it.
Both batters went unbeaten at the end of the day putting New Zealand in complete control.
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