Kane Williamson hails Joe Root as 'phenomenal'

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson has expressed his admiration for England’s Joe Root, calling him a "phenomenal" player and predicting that the English batter will continue to break records. 

Williamson, widely regarded as one of the best Test batters of his generation, spoke highly of Root, as well as India’s Virat Kohli and Australia’s Steve Smith. The trio, along with Williamson, are often referred to as the "Fab Four," a term first coined by the late New Zealand cricket legend Martin Crowe.

"(Root) has been phenomenal, and I'm obviously a big fan of his," Williamson said. 

"I've enjoyed watching not just him, but obviously those other guys," he added, praising Kohli and Smith as "amazing players" who have significantly impacted the game.

Williamson believes that Root could go on to break more records, possibly even surpassing Tendulkar. 

"There is a lot of attention on what he might achieve in the years to come," he further added.

It is worth noting that Root has been in outstanding form. He has hit three centuries and three half-centuries in his last five Tests, including hundreds in both innings against Sri Lanka at Lord's. Root's recent performances saw him surpass Alastair Cook's record of 33 Test centuries for England, moving him to 34 tons.

Root also climbed to seventh place on the list of all-time Test run-scorers, with 12,390 runs to his name. India's Sachin Tendulkar holds the top spot with 15,921 runs and 51 centuries over his 200-Test career.