Key Points
Williamson becomes first to score three consecutive tons vs South Africa
Ravindra maintains incredible ICC tournament batting average
New Zealand set massive 362/6 total in semi-final
Speaking to reporters upon his arrival in Dubai for the ICC Champions Trophy final against India, Santner expressed his admiration for the duo's approach at the crease.
"Kane played an exceptional knock alongside Rachin. The intent they showed was outstanding. Scoring at six runs per over was quite comfortable, especially with the ramps and scoops they executed," Santner told the reporters.
"Rachin is playing with great freedom, expressing his natural game, and it was pretty cool to watch. Performances like these certainly make our job as bowlers a little easier," he added.
Williamson became the highest run-getter for the Kiwis in the tournament's history and the first to cross the 19,000 international runs milestone for his nation.
It was Williamson's third consecutive hundred against South Africa in as many ODI innings, making him the first batter from New Zealand to achieve the feat and the first player ever to do so against Proteas.
On the other hand, the young southpaw sent shivers down the spine of South African bowlers. Rachin celebrated his fifth century in ODIs, and surprisingly, all of his landmark scores in the format have come in ICC tournaments.
Rachin's batting average of 67.00 in ICC ODI tournaments is the highest in the pool of 80 batters, with a minimum of 750 runs in these tournaments. In his limited appearances, Rachin has garnered 804 runs in 13 innings with two fifties and five hundreds.