Williamson hits century as New Zealand reaches 417-6

Kane Williamson became the youngest New Zealander to score a century on debut as the visitors reached 417-6 at lunch on the fourth day of the first test against India.

The 20-year-old was dismissed for 131 at the stroke of lunch to leave captain Daniel Vettori unbeaten on 41 and New Zealand within 70 runs of India’s first innings total of 487.

Williamson is the eighth New Zealand batsman to bring up a century on debut. The last to do so was Scott Styris against the West Indies at Queen’s Park in 2002. Others in the list are Lou Vincent, Mathew Sinclair, Rodney Redmond, Bruce Taylor, Jackie Mills and present coach Mark Greatbach.

Williamson batted for 391 minutes, hitting 10 fours from his 299 balls and was associated in a useful 86-run stand for the sixth wicket with Vettori. He was caught by VVS Laxman at slip when he played a delivery from left-spinner Pragyan Ojha away from the body.

Williamson has played six limited-overs internationals and earned a call up to the test side thanks to his knock of 108 in the fourth match of a recent five-match series in Bangladesh, which New Zealand lost 4-0.

Vettori had faced 89 deliveries by lunch and hit one boundary and a six. He became only the third allrounder after England’s Ian Botham and Kapil Dev of India to complete a test double of 4,000 runs and 300 wickets when he reached 38 toward the end of the first session.