'Insatiable' Williamson earns praise from New Zealand coach

Following his double-century in the opening Test against Bangladesh, Williamson became only the second New Zealand player ever to have more than 900 points on the MRF Tyres ICC Men's Test Rankings chart. He's now only seven points behind Virat Kohli, and can challenge for the top spot.

During that match in Hamilton, he also reached 6000 Test runs, making him the fastest from his country to get to that milestone. None of these achievements come as a surprise to Stead.

"I don't think it is a big surprise that Kane is as good as he is if you see how hard he works and he's done it from a very, very young age as well," Stead said on Tuesday, 5 March.

"He has an insatiable appetite to bat and to hit balls and to keep getting better with his technique. He's not a guy that rests on his laurels at all, and you wouldn't be surprised [about his records] if you see his training."

The Tests against Bangladesh offer a chance for New Zealand to extend their success in the format – they're second on the MRF Tyres ICC Test Team Rankings now. They began well with a record innings victory in the first match, and while they are taking confidence from their dominance, they won't let their guard or standards drop.

"The guys will be confident," Stead said in Wellington, the venue of the second Test starting on Friday. "It's the start of another Test match though, and we will be back to zero, so we start again.

"We just try to get better every day and that's what the team is about."