"He has been something else for a long period of time" - Kane Williamson hails 'phenomenal' Joe Root

Former New Zealand Test captain Kane Williamson hailed England star Joe Root for his incredible achievements, especially in the red-ball format. Root has been hogging the limelight over the past month, thanks to his extraordinary batting form in England's home Test season.

The 33-year-old had scored three centuries and as many half-centuries in five Tests against the West Indies and Sri Lanka before the ongoing third Sri Lanka Test.

Root's heroics have seen him climb to seventh on the all-time test run-scoring chart with 12,390 runs at an average of 50.77 in 156 outings.

Talking to reporters in Greater Noida ahead of New Zealand's one-off Test against Afghanistan, Williamson lavished praise on Root by saying:

"You mentioned Joe Root. He has been something else for a long period of time. Obviously, there is a lot of attention on what he might be able to achieve in a number of years and it’s just incredible that that conversion can even be had. He has been phenomenal."

Williamson also hailed the other two members of the renowned 'Fab Four' (Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, himself, and Joe Root) for moving the sport forward in a positive way.

"I have been a big fan of his. Not just him, but the other guys as well, amazing how they have sort of moved the game forward in a big way," he added.

Williamson himself boasts a sensational Test record with 8,743 runs at an average of 54.98, including 32 centuries in 100 games.

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"We are absolutely going to be challenged in a number of ways" - Kane Williamson

Kane Williamson looked forward to the block of six consecutive Tests in Asia over the next two months and admitted the stiff challenge facing the side.

After the one-off Test against Afghanistan, the Blackcaps will take on Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka in two Tests followed by the massive three-match series in India.

"I mean, we are absolutely going to be challenged in a number of ways. But, the opportunity to have a block here for us as a team to look have the sort of experiences that we are going to have for the next sort of two-and-a-half months and be better for it. It’s an exciting opportunity. Nice to be here, preparing for the first Test. We are looking to take those small steps and try and get familiar with those conditions," said Williamson.

He continued:

"In some ways, it’s like a tournament sport, even though it’s over a long period of time in the Test championship. Naturally, having six Test matches together is a big part of our calendar. It’s one that we are very excited about."

New Zealand last played a red-ball game in March this year against Australia at home, where they suffered a 2-0 whitewash.

The one-off Afghanistan Test will be played at Greater Noida, starting Monday, September 9.