Kane Williamson Claims 3-0 Test Victory in India is New Zealand Cricket’s Greatest Achievement

Kane Williamson remains New Zealand's highest run-scorer in Tests, accumulating 9,276 runs in 105 matches at an impressive average of 54.88.

Kane Williamson Claims 3-0 Test Victory in India is New Zealand Cricket’s Greatest Achievement

Kane Williamson suggested that New Zealand's 3-0 Test series win over India is the 'greatest'. (via Guardian)

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Ex-New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson described his team’s historic 3-0 Test series win over India last year, as the Kiwis ‘greatest achievement’. Williamson even compared the white-wash victory against India to New Zealand’s 2021 World Test Championship triumph. 

The red-ball series between India and New Zealand was historic, as the Kiwis pulled off the impossible by ending the Men in Blues’ impressive 12-year unbeaten streak of having not lost a single Test series at home. With Rachin Ravindra and Mitchell Santner leading the charge, the Kiwis completed a 3-0 whitewash against India, ending the hosts’ record of having secured 18 consecutive Test series wins on their home soil.

New Zealand had entered the contest at the back of a disappointing all-format tour to Sri Lanka. However, the Tom Latham-led side found form in the very first innings of the series opener in Bengaluru, dismissing the hosts for just 46 runs, before going on to win the match by eight wickets. It was followed by a 113-run win in the second Test in Pune, and a 25-run victory to seal the series in Mumbai. 

Kane Williamson, who was surprisingly not a part of the New Zealand side that travelled to India last year due to an injury, spoke out about the team’s historic triumph at the 2025 CEAT Cricket Awards in Mumbai. After having won the CEAT Men’s ODI Batter of the Year award, Williamson went on to exclaim that his team’s 3-0 victory over India would go down as the ‘greatest achievement’ in New Zealand cricket history.

The [New Zealand] team that went over there [to India] and performed the way they did was really quite special. And for us, as a cricketing nation, it would go down as probably our greatest achievement to date.

Williamson noted the challenges of playing away from home, especially in Indian conditions as well as against a strong opponent like the Men in Blue. He went on to suggest that the white-wash victory over India could be placed on the same pedestal as the Kiwi’s 2021 WTC final win. He further highlighted the opportunity that the team got of setting a benchmark in India, while also sharing insights about his future with the national team.

One of the biggest challenges in our game is playing away from home, but certainly coming to a place like India against such a strong side and conditions that are quite different to the ones that we have back home.

Kane Williamson has not played for the Kiwis since the 2025 Champions Trophy final defeat to India, and has even opted out of a central contract. The 35-year-old still suggested that he has a lot of cricket left in him, and added that every opportunity that he got to play for his nation remains special. 

Kane Williamson Praises Indian Pacer’s ‘Relentless Commitment,’ Hailing Young Indian Stars

New Zealand batter and former captain Kane Williamson lauded Mohammed Siraj’s mentality, while noting that the 31-year-old has displayed leadership abilities over the years. He also took time to praise newly-appointed Indian Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill.

Kane Williamson on Mohammed Siraj
Kane Williamson praised Mohammed Siraj’s commitment. (via News 18)

Mohammed Siraj has turned himself into the Indian Test side’s lead bowler, stepping up to deliver in crucial moments. Siraj finished the 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy as the leading wicket-taker with 23 scalps in five matches at an average of 32.43. Siraj most recently, picked up his eighth four-wicket haul in the format, in the opening Test against West Indies in Ahmedabad. 

Kane Williamson, who played alongside Siraj at Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL in 2017, suggested that the pacer stands apart from the rest for his commitment for putting his team above everything else. The Kiwi star also lauded Siraj’s ability to take risks and challenges, and added that he often demonstrates leadership with his long spells, likening him to New Zealand Test legend Neil Wagner. 

What sets him apart is his relentless commitment to putting the team first and his desire to take the ball, even when the game might not be moving.

Williamson also talked about Shubman Gill, who has most recently been elevated to the captaincy role in India’s ODI setup. The 35-year-old advised young Gill about the need to brace himself for the challenges as well as the ‘ups’ and ‘downs’ of the role.

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