India vs New Zealand, World Cup 2019: Kane Williamson plays lone ranger, again

MANCHESTER: Of all the captains at the World Cup, Kane Williamson has probably had the most unenviable job. The New Zealand captain has long been the team's talisman, holding the batting order together in all formats of the game besides leading the bunch with distinction.
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At the 2019 World Cup, Williamson has yet again been the glue which has held the Kiwis together.It's been an arduous job, though. Deserted by his batting colleagues, Williamson often had to wage a lone struggle. Batting at number three, Williamson has been forced to come in very early as the openers have not delivered, with Martin Guptill's wobbly form being a major hindrance.
Compared to Williamson, captains of other leading teams have had more breathing space, at least on the field. Leading a top side in a World Cup is not an easy job at all but if your senior players are firing and the team is rallying around you then it can be a very agreeable task.
Indian captain Virat Kohli has been batting brilliantly and consistently but has had the luxury of a rampant Rohit Sharma at the top. KL Rahul too has been very consistent as an opener. So, Kohli has had the freedom to play himself in and bat without too much pressure.

David Warner has been in supreme form and Australia captain Aaron Finch has been happy playing second fiddle to his opening partner.
England too are thriving on their opening pair of Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy and No. 3 Joe Root. Captain Eoin Morgan has been relatively quiet, barring his explosive innings against Afghanistan. Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed also had an underwhelming World Cup as a batsman but Imam-ul-Haq and Babar Azam made sure there were runs on the board.
New Zealand's batting became shaky as the tournament wore on. The pressure was on, and the captain had to perform. On Tuesday too, Williamson had to come in early. He had to make sure that the Kiwis didn't lose another wicket. He also had to negotiate the lethal Bumrah and the crafty Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who was moving the ball around.
Williamson steadied the ship and gave New Zealand something to play with. His 67 took his World Cup tally to 548 in eight innings at an astounding average of 91.33. His career ODI stats are very impressive - he averages 48 plus over 148 matches spread over nine years. That's not bad for someone who is not a power hitter and plays genuine strokes to get his runs.