New Zealand’s captain Kane Williamson secured an impressive century on the second day of the inaugural Test against Bangladesh.
This marked Williamson’s 29th Test century, placing him in the esteemed company of Virat Kohli and Sir Donald Bradman. Notably, he stood out as the lone New Zealand player to achieve a fifty-plus score during the innings by the end of day two.
Coming to the crease after Tom Latham’s early dismissal in the 13th over by Taijul Islam, Williamson found a reliable partner in Daryl Mitchell following the departures of Devon Conway and Henry Nicholls with scores under 20. Achieving his fifty in just 75 balls, Williamson adapted his usual pace to contend with the challenging spin on the sluggish pitch.
Despite a dropped catch opportunity in the 49th over, where Taijul failed to hold onto Williamson off Nayeen Hasan’s delivery, the New Zealand skipper persevered.
Another chance presented itself when he reached 70, but a misjudged catch attempt by a Bangladesh fielder off Nayeem granted Williamson a second lease on his innings.
While Glenn Phillips alleviated some pressure at the other end, Williamson reached the coveted century milestone but was subsequently dismissed by Taijul Islam for 104.
This century marked a historic feat for Williamson, as he became the first New Zealand batter to achieve hundreds in four consecutive Tests. His previous centuries included scores of 132 against England in Wellington and 121* and 215 against Sri Lanka in consecutive Tests in Christchurch and Wellington.
This accomplishment aligns Williamson with cricket legends such as Matthew Hayden, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and others. However, the ultimate record of six consecutive Test match hundreds is held by Sir Donald Bradman, achieved between 1937 and 1938.
As the day concluded, New Zealand found themselves at 266/8, trailing Bangladesh by 44 runs. With a challenging fourth-innings chase looming on a pitch that continues to pose difficulties for batting, the stage is set for an intriguing battle in the remainder of the Test match.
