Right at the top

I was a student of class eight in 1994. The schedules were always hectic in Saint Josephs High School. Each day a student had to undergo three or four class tests and at times, back then, I wished to run away from my house. But cricket stopped me from running away as if I escaped from my house, I would not be able to enjoy cricket on television. Superstars like Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Shane Warne, Curtly Ambrose and co stopped me time and again. The likes of Javed Miandad, Allan Border, Salim Malik, Richie Richardson, Graham Gooch, Martin Crowe, etc. had lost their sting to a great extent. But still, when they dazzled, they overshadowed the stars of 90s. In 1994, world cricket was a great mixture of old and new. It was tough to escape from home.

When Martin Crowe scored 115 against England at Manchester in third Test, New Zealand were following on and yet again, his hundred proved as valuable as gold as it saved New Zealand from a defeat. I was tired and annoyed with my second term examinations as my preparations were in doldrums and Mathemetics became one of my nightmares at that time. But, yet again, cricket came to give me some space to breathe – the century of Crowe was not as dazzling as one would expect, but it had the ingredient of a fighter – in those days such knocks were termed as Miandad-esque. Crowe was not a Miandad but a class of his own.

It was his 17^th Test hundred, the highest number of hundreds made by a New Zealand batsman in Tests, but amid the hype of Lara and Two Ws, it failed to create enough buzz around the globe. Cricket journalism had not reached that peak like today in 1994. No one even cared to sit down and talk about Crowe’s epic achievement from a land who were always rated as bloody underachievers. No one even bothered to talk about the significance about that hundred and the man, undoubtedly the best in the history of New Zealand cricket since Sir Richard Hadlee.

I watched the hundred. Enjoyed it. And, went back to prepare for my second term examinations.

It did not create any impact on me.

But it was a significant one.

Who would have thought, it would take a New Zealand batsman twenty-four years to dethrone Crowe from the top.  Many batsmen came and showed promise, but none could challenge the class and aura of Crowe until a young man named Kane Williamson came into the scene at Ahmedabad in 2010. The young man showed great technique and temperament against one of the best Test teams in world cricket to notch up a hundred. Since then, more than seven years have passed. That young lad has come of age and at present, he is one of the best batsmen in world cricket alongside Virat Kohli, Joe Root, AB de Villiers and Steve Smith.

Today, he has reached another milestone at Auckland. He is now the owner of highest number of hundreds smashed by a Kiwi batsman in Tests and dethrone Crowe. In 1994, this achievement would have gone unnoticed, but today such achievements are celebrated and praised widely. It had long been assumed, one day, Kane would be the proud owner of this record and today was that day. There were hopes invested in Ross Taylor, but the class and composure of Kane were too weighty to leave Taylor behind.

So far he has played 64 Test matches,  fewer than Virat, Root or Smith; but his brilliant conversation rates in five-day matches always kept him in a league of his own. Since Crowe, New Zealand never had such a consistent batsman who would stamp his authority in world cricket and challenge the might of the world’s best bowlers. I wonder, if New Zealand played more Test matches, where would Williamson, just 27 years old at present, end? He would have ended as the highest run scorer in Test cricket. But, sadly, Kiwis play less five-day matches. They need to focus on playing more Test matches. Cricket can’t afford to enjoy less of Williamson. It wants more of his style.

Thank You
Faisal Caesar