Williamson's success mantra: All is well when you keep calm

Kane Williamson seems to be perennially in cruise control. For a 23-year-old, his maturity and uncomplicated batting with emphasis on innings building stands out in an era of the slam-bang approach.

Kane Williamson seems to be perennially in cruise control, whether it is batting or explaining his game. For someone who is only 23, the former Kiwi U-19 skipper's maturity and uncomplicated batting with emphasis on innings building stands out in an era of the slam-bang approach.

New Zealand are grateful for that, and have ridden on Williamson's slender shoulders through this season. The batsman, who struck crucial half-centuries in each ODI against India, ended the wait with an invaluable century that lifted the hosts from serious trouble.

He proved his talent four years ago when he hit 131 on Test debut in Ahmedabad. The No 3 is now being regarded as a big emerging talent. Before this series, Williamson, whose hand-eye coordination, footwork and backfoot play stand out, had said the classical batting style was still relevant, citing Virat Kohli as an example.

After scoring his second century in seven innings, a phase also containing four half-centuries, he was already looking forward to bowling his off-spin. "Whether it is a hundred or not, it is always nice when it is but sometimes situations dictate what happens."

What does he attribute to his run of success? "You are looking to improve all the time and I guess for me staying relaxed is quite important. Going into each innings, if you are calm then you make better decisions, and ultimately if you are doing that, you like to think you are going to be scoring more runs."

Does he see himself as a quiet operator among the big hitters? "I just saw Brendon raise his bat (after scoring his century) before me, so that's how I was judging it."