India vs New Zealand: Kane Williamson equals 44-year-old World Cup record of Glenn Turner

ICC World Cup semi-final: With the Indian pace duo of Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar breathing fire with the new ball, Kane Williamson dropped anchor and steered the Kiwis out of trouble after the early dismissal of out of form opener Martin Guptill.

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson yet again led his team from the front as he weathered an early storm to help build a strong platform in the crucial ICC World Cup semi-final encounter against India at the Old Trafford in Manchester on Tuesday. With the Indian pace duo of Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar breathing fire with the new ball, Williamson dropped anchor and steered the Kiwis out of trouble after the early dismissal of out of form opener Martin Guptill.

ICC World Cup semi-final: New Zealand captain Kane Williamson plays a shot against India at Old Trafford. (AFP)

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Williamson came out to bat in the fourth over itself as Guptill was sent back by Bumrah. The Blackcaps captain took his time to get going as Henry Nicholls too was struggling at the other end. Williamson and Nicholls decided to see off Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar and then started to take calculated risks against bowling of Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja.

Williamson put on 68 for the second wicket with Nicholls, who was dismissed for 28 by Jadeja in the 19th over. The Kiwi captain would go on to share another half-century stand with the experienced Ross Taylor and in the process brought up his 39th ODI fifty, also his eighth against India.

Williamson was eventually dismissed for 67 as he was caught by Ravindra Jadeja at the backward point as he looked to cut a Yuzvendra Chahal delivery. He though equalled a 44-year-old record held by former New Zealand captain Glenn Turner.

Williamson became only the second Kiwi skipper to register a 50-plus score against India in the World Cup since Turner hit an unbeaten 114 in the maiden edition of the event in 1975. Williamson has been a consistent performer for his team and is also the highest scorer for New Zealand in this tournament.

He is widely considered as the best batsman to have come out of the island nation and was recently called an all-time great by former New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori.