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'Enjoy Watching Him..' - Williamson Hails Joe Root As Englishman Closes On Sachin Tendulkar's Record

Joe Root And Kane Williamson- (X.com)Joe Root And Kane Williamson- (X.com)

Ahead of New Zealand's one-off Test against Afghanistan in Greater Noida on September 9, Blackcaps ex-red-ball skipper Kane Williamson reflected on his form and also heaped massive praise on Joe Root. 

Joe Root has taken the world by storm with his form, as the right-hand batter recently became the sixth-leading run-getter in Test cricket. The debate over Root breaking Sachin's record for most Test runs is louder than ever. Recently Root smashed his 34th Test hundred and he is just 33 years old. 

Williamson Praises Joe Root

"(Root) has been phenomenal, and I'm obviously a big fan of his. I've enjoyed watching not just him, but those other guys. There is a lot of attention on what he might achieve in the years to come," 34-year-old Williamson told reporters at the Greater Noida ground on Saturday, the venue for the Afghanistan clash.

Root Inches Closer To Sachin Tendulkar's Record

At present, Root has 12,402 runs in 146 Tests, while he requires less than 3000 runs to break Sachin Tendulkar's record to become the leading run-getter in Test cricket. The master blaster has 15921 runs in 200 Test matches. 

Recently, several cricket pundits have backed Root to go past Tendulkar's feat. However, they have cautioned the Englishman to keep his fitness at the highest level. 

Kane Williamson Reflects On Afghanistan Test

New Zealand will be playing their first Test in six months when they take on Afghanistan, but Williamson said he felt confident.

"Playing for my country, for my team, makes me perform on the field," he said, adding he was "very excited" to play six away Tests which will count towards the World Test Championship. In some ways, it's like a tournament sport, even though it's over a long period", he said.

New Zealand, who won the inaugural WTC title in 2021, are placed third on the standings below Australia and India.