Kane Williamson's New Zealand lost the final at Lord's (Twitter)
Kane Williamson's childhood coach David Johnston sent consolation remarks to his old ward as the New Zealand skipper strives to overcome the pain and the disappointment of the ICC World Cup 2023 semifinal defeat to India in Mumbai on Wednesday (November 15).
As the Blackcaps captain failed to fulfil his longstanding desire, Johnston confirmed it was potentially the man's one final crack at the World Cup title, something he was driven to achieve after enduring the frustration and the sombre of the 2019 finale defeat against England at Lord's.
Despite scores levelling in a thriller for the ages that entered multiple Super Over ties, New Zealand came out second to the tournament hosts on the much-controversial boundary count law as a point of separation. The law was abolished afterwards but Williamson bore the deepest of hurt while still carrying a gentlemanly smile.
Johnston revealed that defeat had stuck for quite some time and inspired the great batter to work extensively hard ahead of the 2023 edition in India, where an ACL injury forced him out of the reckoning initially and then he had to overcome a thumb fracture to gear up for the semifinal at Wankhede Stadium.
Coach Reveals 2019 Loss Compelled Williamson To Continue
Despite his best intentions, Williamson couldn't help his side overcome its sustained issues. New Zealand suffered defeats at the hands of all three fellow semifinalists during the league campaign and somehow stuttered to the knock-outs stage with five wins in nine matches before being dismantled by an Indian side peaking in the tournament.
"I remember Kane was utterly gutted after that heartbreaking loss at the 2019 WC Final. He was numb for a long time, it was really difficult for him to get back to normal," Johnston wrote in a tribute to Williamson's resilience and self-defiance for Indian Express.
"And this time the entire effort to play the 2023 WC after being injured, the passion, the hard work staggered me. I knew that the 2019 World Cup memory drove him to have one more crack at it in India," he added.
Williamson, who made an admirable recovery from two horrifically untimed injuries to continue playing the World Cup 2023 in India, finished with 256 runs in just four innings, including a fighting knock of 69 off 73 deliveries against India at the Wankhede Stadium.
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