5 things that indicate Kane Williamson is going to be the greatest Test batsman of his generation

What does it entail, being the greatest Test batsman? Does it include blood, sweat and tears? Does it include broken bones, cramps, agony-laden screams, celebrations drenched in expletives, leaps of authority, loud roars, fist pumping and lots of glove-love? But, there is one man, who doesn’t look like any of it.There is one young cricketer, with the look of velvet-cloaked steel, disguised almost as if it is embarrassed of its strength, who could be the greatest Test batsman of his generation.Kane Williamson isn’t the quintessential ‘great cricketer’. He doesn’t have the swag of Viv Richards, the menacing presence of Jacques Kallis, the enterprise of AB de Villiers, the immaculateness of Sachin Tendulkar, the fiery sparks of Brian Lara in the flow.Williamson doesn’t have the silken flamboyance of Virat Kohli, the unconventional arrogance of Steve Smith’s batting, the restless energy of Joe Root. Slowly but surely, he is climbing up one step at a time in one of the most competitive generations, piling on the runs.Here, we look at 5 indicators of his greatness that will probably make him the best of his generation.

#1 The averages over the last two years

Since the beginning of 2014, Williamson averages 78.34 in Tests, comfortably ahead of his contemporaries. He is the only batsman to average over 60 in Tests and ODIs across the last two years, a true indicator of his versatility.

He has dragged his career Test average close to 50, from mid-thirties before 2014, a sign of consistency over a reasonably long period of time. In the last two years, Williamson has scored 1961 runs in 30 innings.

Compared to David Warner, the most prolific run-scorer during this period, Williamson has just 14 50 plus scores, where Warner has 22. Once again it shows that although Williamson has fewer big innings, he scores consistently to have an average that is 13 higher than that of Warner, explaining why he is the backbone of his team.

Also, in his career, Williamson boasts of a stunning average of 83 in the third match of a series, usually a crucial match or a decider, a high stakes game. He also has 12 50 plus scores in 31 innings of the first match of a series, showing that he is an impact player.

That is further proven by the fact that in wins, Williamson averages 75.75 in 23 innings. In drawn games, he averages 60.5 in 22 innings. In 34 innings in losses, Williamson’s average drops to 27, showing how important he is to his team.

#2 Centuries in crucial tours

Some players are good at some venues and terrible at others. Good players score more frequently away from home. Williamson is just 25 years old. He has a good 10 years of Test cricket in him at the very minimum. Yet, he already has centuries in Australia (2), Bangladesh (1), England (1), India (1), Sri Lanka (1), UAE (1) and West Indies (2).

He has three centuries at home as well. Only South Africa and Zimbabwe remain, but it is pardonable considering he played just 2 and 1 Tests respectively in the two countries. That pretty much proves the fact that he can play big innings on bouncy and fast pitches like in Australia, on seamer-friendly wickets under conditions conducive to swing in England and New Zealand and on tough turning tracks in the sub-continent.

It is only a matter of time before he scores a ton in South Africa and Zimbabwe, checking an important milestone for any legend - centuries everywhere.

#3 Home and Away record

Williamson averages 57 at home which is impressive. But he averages 45 away from home and 52 in neutral conditions (read UAE while playing against Pakistan). The amazing stat to pay attention to is that Williamson has scored 9 centuries and 8 half-centuries away from home in 28 Tests and 53 innings.

That means he makes a 50 plus score nearly every three innings. At home, he has 3 tons and 8 half-centuries in 15 Tests and 26 innings. Williamson averages 67 in Australia, New Zealand’s biggest rivals, in 4 Tests, his latest innings of 166 under pressure against a high-quality pace attack a classic example of how he can soak up the pressure with minimal fuss and deliver the goods when needed.

#4 Record at No.3

It is common knowledge that the best batsman in every Test team usually bats at No.3. Williamson has taken the burden for his team at a very young age and that in itself speaks highly of his ability.

He averages 54.58 at No.3 in 33 Tests with 10 centuries and 13 half-centuries. He has also scored a double century from that position, 242* showing his insatiable appetite for runs.

Williamson scores these runs at a strike-rate of nearly 50, which is great in Tests, especially for a technically correct No.3 batsman. His 3000 runs at No.3 are further enhanced by the fact that he has remained not-out five times and dismissed without opening his score only twice.

#5 Consistency across various innings

Just like his impressive home-away average, Williamson is consistent across various innings in a Test. Some batsmen score heavily in the first or second innings of the game. Some score more in the final innings but rarely cash in early in the game.

Williamson averages 42, 69, 42 and 56.5 in the first, second, third and fourth innings respectively of a Tests match. Two things are obvious from the stats. He is a player who finds his bearings better under pressure, chasing a score, whether it is in the second innings or the fourth.

Secondly, he is not bad at any stage of the game as is proven from his 40 plus average in any innings of the Test, making him an extremely reliable player for New Zealand.