124 was the number of runs David Warner and Kane Williamson put up for the second wicket. From one end it was a methodical madness and from the other you had a fluent flurry playing perfect second fiddle to the Warner’s school of batting pyrotechnics. If Warner would slash hard and cut loose, Williamson would caress those gaps with an adorable poise and precision. It was a perfect role that Williamson was playing on a stage where David Warner played the lead role. Williamson was more than happy to be the foil to his captain’s hot shot marauding. Warner was ruthless in his approach and broke the bowling bones of the RCB attack single-handedly. And at the other end was a silent killer whose shot making was as gentle and generous like his smile. It was totally the show of the two ‘W’s who got their home crowd clearing their throats. Here’s Warner talking about his purple patch in orange, his ‘almost’ helicopter shot and Williamson seeing shades of Brendon McCullum in his batting partner Warner. This and a lot more in the duo’s chat with IPLT20.com

Hitting a purple patch in Orange - David Warner

The Orange cap, the orange jersey, it does suit me doesn’t it? At the end of the day you play this game to win matches and tonight was a fantastic performance by our guys at the end. Credit goes to Kane Williamson the way he came and played that kind of a knock in his first game. Then Moises Henriques came and finished off with a quick-fire 30. The bowlers too executed well at the death.

Making his first appearance count - Kane Williamson

Warner: Kane’s injuries hindered his start to this tournament; he was going to play initially but he hurt his hamstring and then Eoin Morgan came in and played fantastically. Credit to Morgan for the way he played at the same time there is a lot of sportsmanship there in the dressing room. We needed someone like Kane batting at number three to try and steady the ship and he played that role to perfection today.

Williamson: The team has been playing well and I was fortunate enough to get an opportunity today. I suppose I didn’t want to be too eager although when you are not playing, you are always keen to play. I just wanted to try and focus on my job which was to form that partnership along with David Warner who played yet another amazing match-winning knock.”

When the Warner-Williamson show took center stage

Warner: These kinds of partnerships are crucial ones especially when you lose a wicket early. Also as a batting pair you are trying to set a base and build a partnership which we were able to do tonight. Sometimes it doesn’t come off but sometimes it does. We are fortunate that we both got a good partnership, set a good foundation for the guys who came in next and posted a total like we did tonight.

Williamson: I was just trying to relax and play my role to the best I can. T20 cricket is very fickle in its nature and you have to take risks. At the same time when you have a guy at the other end like David Warner, it is important that you are playing your part well. It is important not to get too ahead of yourself watching it all from one end and you chase it a little bit. Me and Davy were talking a lot in the middle. He was calm at one end. For me, it was a good partnership to be a part of. It is important that we complement each other in partnerships. Today we did that pretty well.

Kane the calm, Warner the storm

Warner: Kane’s style of playing allows me to play the way I usually play my game. It takes a bit of pressure off me to have someone like that come in and play that role. Credit to him for the way he played tonight. He does it for New Zealand so well and we knew he was capable of doing it for us in the IPL. He is a world class player.

Williamson: He has done it in most games for the Sunrisers. I was fortunate to be at the other end and watch it happen. He just makes batting look so easy and he is hitting it to all parts of the ground with a lot of power. He is batting beautifully and scoring a lot of runs which is huge for our team. He is very clear in what he wants to do but he is very aggressive. He looks to take the bowling apart which he does day in and day out.

A peek into Warner’s success formula

It is just about keeping a clear mind. You don’t go out there and think about setting a total or think about what you are going to achieve. It is about trying to get the team off to a good start and that is what I try and do every time. A couple of shots go straight to the fielders but that is cricket. You are going to have that happening in your game. It is exactly what happened with Virat Kohli tonight; his shot went straight to the fielder. A meter left or right and it was four and he would have been off to a flier.

When Kane could sense shades of Brendon McCullum at the other end

I have been fortunate to bat with Brendon McCullum quite a bit which I suppose is a bit similar when there is a guy at the other end who is thrashing it to all parts of the ground. I have played a similar role in the past with Brendon and tonight it was important to complement Davy by just being there at the other end so that he was able to play with that freedom. I tried to do my little bit when it came to trying to up the run-rate but at that time it was very important that Davy was out there with a clear mind and play a game that he is able to do naturally.

Warner’s helicopter and Williamson’s best seat in the house


Warner: I think it comes of many years of watching MS Dhoni. For me it was just about standing still and hitting the ball well. To be honest, I didn’t really mean for the ball to go there and I wanted it to go a lot squarer. But I guess that is how it happens in this game.”

Williamson: It was a pleasure to watch. He has so much time and he is so still when he strikes the ball. With those big bats and those fast hands, he is doing the job and leading from the front. He did that today and it was great to be at the other end.

Captain all smiles after the batting show

Our batting has come to the fore. We have gelled well together as a unit. We started well with the ball and reduced a couple of teams to 150 and less but this time we have done well with the bat too. It is great to see the way we batted tonight. Now we know that we are capable of doing it with the bat as well and hopefully the boys can keep riding on this roller coaster.