By Jon Pierik
Sir Richard Hadlee had little hesitation in declaring Kane Williamson could finish as New Zealand's "best-ever batsman" when asked about the talented strokemaker on the eve of the Test series. But Williamson could have an even more important immediate role to fulfil - saving the opening month of the Australian summer.
One of the great joys of the international summer is having a first-hand look at the opposition's best batsman, preferably one on the rise and prepared to play his shots. Think a Sachin Tendulkar or Brian Lara, or Michael Vaughan amid the carnage of England's Ashes rubble of 2002-03.
All class: New Zealand's Kane Williamson has developed into one of the world's best batsmen.Credit: Getty Images
Those three greats knew how to hold a team together, and Williamson did just that at the Gabba with a composed 140 - his 11th Test ton - during the Black Caps' misfiring first innings.
The 25-year-old showed why he is ranked the seventh-best batsman by the ICC and perhaps should be higher, if former Australian all-rounder Greg Matthews was to be believed.
Commenting on Fairfax Media radio, Matthews nominated Williamson as the world's best batsman, ahead of even Steve Smith and South African AB de Villiers.
"I would be picking him No.1 in my team any time," Matthews said on Saturday.
He pointed out Williamson, unlike de Villiers, was surrounded by "working class" teammates, and this made his job tougher.
"I think he would be more dynamic like de Villiers if in the South African side. He has more guns around him. It's a much better team, you are freer in your actions ... and your mind," Matthews said.
Regardless, Williamson has been free in his mind and body in the past year, and is a different man from the one who eked out scores of 19, 0, 19 and 34 in his four Test innings in Australia four years ago.
Averaging 45.7 overall in his career, Williamson, a star as a junior who steps out for Northern Districts in Hamilton, has enjoyed a remarkable recent run. In his past 10 Tests innings, including a double century against Sri Lanka, he has averaged 148.
He also has centuries against eight Test nations, with Zimbabwe the exception. He was already one of only six batsmen to have had 10 centuries by the age of 25, a distinguished list that includes Sir Donald Bradman, Sir Garfield Sobers and Tendulkar.
Good judges talk of his composure and self-belief and his ability to defend his off-stump on the back foot - a shot needed on the bouncy Australian decks. Williamson steps back and across to execute this defensive stroke, giving him a vital extra second or two to judge the angle.
Batting technician Dean Jones noted Williamson was good off the back and front foot, played the ball late and looked graceful and fluent when jumping into his strokes.
He pounced onto the front foot to smack a searching Mitchell Starc down the ground on Saturday, and later added what Bruce McAvaney would have dubbed a "delicious" cover drive off Josh Hazlewood. The full array of strokes had also been on show before stumps on Friday, when he drove Starc, attacked the spin of Nathan Lyon, and cut Hazlewood.
"He is a quality player and he is excellent in any conditions. His record says that. He has scored runs all around the world," Caps batting coach Craig McMillan said. "He is one of the best batsmen in the world."
The pressure on Williamson to further enhance his reputation will be needed if fellow batting kingpin, Ross Taylor, remains timid.
Taylor, who has been tinkering with his technique with mentor, Martin Crowe, has a modest average against Australia and South Africa - two nations who generally boast arguably the best pace attacks in world cricket.
He did not look at ease from his first ball and was dismissed six deliveries later for a duck. He averages 34 against Australia, and only 26.22 in nine innings on local shores, compared to an overall career average of 44 in 65 Tests, and 56.88 in 26 homes Tests.
His Australian record does include a crucial half-century in the win in Hobart four years ago but he now has a pair of ducks in his past two knocks in Brisbane, with a bouncy WACA wicket next up to test his questionable ability to handle pure pace.
Williamson, by contrast, shapes as having the technique to handle all conditions and will be worth the price of admission alone in Perth and then under lights in Adelaide as the tourists fight to remain alive in the series.
Former skipper Stephen Fleming stands atop the Caps' Test leading run scorers with 7172 at 40.06 in 111 matches. Brendon McCullum and Crowe are next. But Williamson will soon chase all three down, motoring into the top 10 on Saturday.
"Kane Williamson will be our best-ever batsman by the time he finishes his career," Hadlee said.
"Technically he's very good, and he just has that desire to occupy the crease and score runs."
For the Caps to have any chance of ending a 30-year Test hoodoo in Australia, Williamson will have to occupy the crease for a considerable amount of time.