Kane Williamson stayed at the crease till the end to take New Zealand over the line.
Going into the final day, the Kiwis needed 257 runs with nine wickets in hand. However, play didn’t start until very late in the day because of persistent rain. After 37 overs were lost due to rain, the hosts required to chase 257 off 53 overs and it wasn't an easy task.
However, Williamson didn’t only slam a century (121*) but also stayed unbeaten till the end to take New Zealand over the finishing line with a diving single on the last delivery of the match.
Speaking about the winning run, Williamson explained why he stumbled while completing the single and what was going through his mind.
“I didn’t look overly agile there,” the former New Zealand skipper told reporters.
“And to be honest it was a little bit of an afterthought because I knew the throw would go to Neil’s (Wagner) end and I just sort of thought getting towards the crease maybe I should just throw in a little dive in case and I was kind of in a position to do it.
“But you know an amazing game of cricket to be part of and both the teams competed against each other throughout the five days and all results were on the table before going into Day 5,” he added.
It was only a couple of weeks ago that New Zealand snatched a one-run victory from the jaws of defeat against England in the Wellington Test.
“That’s special for Test cricket. It’s great that we have a couple of those experiences and hopefully you know there’s plenty of people who are enjoying it,” Williamson said.
“For us as players, it’s been special to be involved with such games or any Test match. But obviously over the five days, you know the competition is fierce and it could have gone either way and it panned out the result with the finest of margins,” he further remarked.
When asked to choose the best win from the last two Tests, the former New Zealand skipper replied: “We just wanted to get across the line as a team, be it of the slimmest of margins.”
The 32-year-old also cleared the air about his retirement, saying “he is not that old.”
“Oh you caught me off guard. I am not that old and I am really enjoying the challenges that come in the international game,” Williamson stated.
On being asked about his favourite format, the right-hander said: “For me Test cricket is the pinnacle. Growing up, I wanted to play this sport becasue of Test cricket. So for me Test cricket is my favourite format.”
(The Indian Express Inputs)