Southampton grit, Abu Dhabi classic – Williamson's finest

Kane Williamson called time on his international career on Friday (June 12), bringing to an end a career spanning sixteen years during which he featured in 110 Tests, 175 ODIs and 93 T20Is. He ends as New Zealand's highest run-scorer in international cricket, tallying 19,346 runs and 48 centuries across formats.

A typical Williamson innings was laden with effortless strokes – the dab through third man and exquisite cover drive standing out. There were also numerous instances when he dug his team out of a hole through innings that were more effective than efficient.

As the curtains come down on a decorated career, here's a recap of some of Williamson's finest innings for the Blackcaps across formats.

131 (299) vs India in Ahmedabad, 2010

The first glimpse of Williamson's prowess on the international stage. India posted 487 in their first innings, before New Zealand were in trouble at 137/4 on the third day. On Test debut, Williamson walked in at No.6 and combined with Jesse Ryder for a 194-run partnership. He raised a hundred off his 245th delivery, forcing an applause from Sachin Tendulkar. Williamson's defiance ended on 131 as he fell to Pragyan Ojha, and New Zealand threatened a famous win after India slumped to 15/5 before VVS Laxman (91) and Harbhajan Singh (115) bailed the hosts out to a draw. Williamson laid down an early marker that defined what was to come.

139 (283) vs Pakistan in Abu Dhabi, 2018

In one of the most pulsating Test series of the year, New Zealand and Pakistan arrived in Abu Dhabi with the series level at 1-1. New Zealand slipped from 70/1 to 72/4 in the first innings before Williamson's 89 set up 274. Pakistan managed a 74-run lead and were sniffing victory when New Zealand were reduced to 60/4 on Day 4. Williamson kept the spin duo of Yasir Shah and Bilal Asif at bay, forging a 212-run partnership with Henry Nicholls as he notched up a remarkable hundred in a Test defined by attritional batting. He ended the day on 139 and failed to add to his overnight score on the final day, but his knock was instrumental towards setting up a declaration. In pursuit of 280 to win the series, Pakistan crashed to 156 before Tea, sealing a historic series win for the Blackcaps.

49 and 52* vs India in Southampton, 2021

The inaugural World Test Championship final in Southampton was a damp affair with rain forcing the reserve day into effect. Williamson won a crucial toss as India were bowled out for 217, although batting never proved easy. Walking in at 70/1, Williamson dug in for a scrappy innings, blunting the Indian pace troika of Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami with a 177-ball 49 in conditions that aided swing and seam. He absorbed the pressure amidst a collapse and helped New Zealand muster a lead of 32 – one that proved invaluable after India were shot out for 170. Williamson produced a much more fluent unbeaten 52 in the chase, unleashing boundaries regularly in the final hour as New Zealand lifted the WTC mace.

251 (412) vs West Indies in Hamilton, 2020

For a world grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic, Williamson's innings was a soothing balm. On a green top in Hamilton, West Indies inserted the hosts to bat first but Williamson produced a masterclass in negotiating challenging conditions against a relentless Kemar Roach. The New Zealand skipper put on 154 for the second wicket with Tom Latham (86) and ended the opening day on 97. He got to his ton the next morning and doubled it, recording his highest Test score of 251, studded with 34 fours and two sixes. New Zealand posted 519 before their pacers scripted a massive innings-and-134-run win – a crucial result that secured New Zealand's berth in the WTC final.

121* (194) vs Sri Lanka in Christchurch, 2023

Williamson was front and center of one of New Zealand's famous Test heists, scripting a chase of 280 against Sri Lanka in little time. He negotiated a tricky passage of play late on Day 4 where he was repeatedly beaten past the outside edge but managed to hang in as New Zealand were 28/1 at Stumps. A long spell of rain wiped out the first two sessions on the final day before play resumed at 3:30 PM local time, with New Zealand needing 252 runs in 53 overs. Latham and Williamson survived a probing spell from the Sri Lankan seamers and the latter raised a fifty, following which he switched gears in the company of Daryl Mitchell. The duo raised a 142-run stand off 157 deliveries. Once Matt Henry was run out, New Zealand needed five off three deliveries when Williamson produced an incredible shot through point. After a dot ball, he missed the last ball before scurrying to the other end and completing the dive on time to seal a thriller.

145* (136) vs South Africa in Kimberley, 2013

A near one-man effort with the next highest score being Grant Elliott's 48. South Africa's tidiness with the ball meant New Zealand managed just 19 runs in the first ten overs of the second ODI in Kimberley, before Elliott joined Williamson with the score 32/2. Once conditions eased, Williamson peeled three boundaries off Ryan McLaren's first over. He cruised along although a collapse followed after Elliott's dismissal, with New Zealand losing wickets regularly even as Williamson raised a run-a-ball ton. He batted through while battling a bout of cramp, duly upping the ante at the death to take New Zealand to 279, which they defended by 27 runs.

67 (95) vs India in Manchester, 2019

In a high-pressure World Cup semifinal, Williamson produced a gritty innings that set the foundation for a competitive total. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Bumrah were nagging in helpful conditions as New Zealand managed 10 runs in the first seven overs. His first boundary was a delightful on-drive off Bhuvneshwar, while he steered New Zealand past 50 at the end of the 14th over. Negating a tight spell from Ravindra Jadeja and Yuzvendra Chahal, Williamson notched up a 79-ball half-century. He perished to Chahal for a 95-ball 67, but it proved very effective as the Kiwis posted 239 in testing conditions, before the bowlers set up a famous win to take New Zealand to a second successive Men's ODI World Cup final.

95 (48) vs India in Hamilton, 2020

Few would argue this was Williamson's best T20 knock, with a chanceless innings almost hauling New Zealand over the line. The hosts entered the third of this 5-match series 2-0 down and started positively in a chase of 180. Williamson took control post the Powerplay, dispatching anything short and maximizing the short boundaries of Seddon Park. Not one bowler was spared, with the highlight being a hat-trick of boundaries off Bumrah, whom he lofted effortlessly over the off-side. An anticlimactic end saw him slash one to the keeper before Mohammed Shami dragged the game to a Super Over, where Williamson tore into Bumrah again with a six and a four. Tim Southee failed to defend 17 as Rohit Sharma won the contest, but the game is remembered for Williamson's symphonic batting.