Given his famous ego-free outlook, claiming it was driven by some kind of inner turmoil about missing New Zealand's historic win in India would be a stretch too.
But with his return from a groin injury for this series opener against England, nudging out Will Young - player of the series in that 3-0 triumph - it was still a timely performance. Not that anyone in New Zealand was seriously quibbling as Williamson is the country's record run-scorer. Judging by Young's relaxed demeanour at training during the buildup, that one-in-all-in New Zealand spirit is very real.
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