IPL 2020: 'Kane Williamson is batting at No. 4 to help the young guys in the lower-middle order' - Sunrisers Hyderabad head coach Trevor Bayliss
![Kane Williamson top-scored for Sunrisers Hyderabad against CSK [P/C: iplt20.com]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2020/10/b2b8b-16026481842100-800.jpg?w=500)
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) head coach Trevor Bayliss has revealed that Kane Williamson has been asked to bat at No. 4 so that he can shepherd the youngsters in the lower-middle order.
He made this observation during the post-match press conference after the David Warner-led side's defeat against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in IPL 2020 yesterday.
On being asked if Kane Williamson should bat at No. 3, Trevor Bayliss responded that the Kiwi skipper has been made to bat at No. 4 by the Sunrisers Hyderabad in order to mentor the inexperienced batsmen down the order.
"There is an argument for that obviously. He is a high quality player. At the moment, he is playing the role for us at No.4 and hopefully bat with some of those young guys in the lower middle-order and use his experience to help them out."
The Aussie coach admitted that Williamson could make more runs if given the chance at No. 3, but added that the sublime stroke-maker is likely to continue performing the role he has been assigned by the Sunrisers Hyderabad currently.
"He is a very good player. If he bats at No.3, he could make bigger scores but that's his role at the moment, to bat at No.4 for us."
Trevor Bayliss on the Sunrisers Hyderabad bowling effort
![Sam Curran took the attack to the Sunrisers Hyderabad bowlers in the Powerplay [P/C: iplt20.com]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2020/10/2ab42-16026492524303-800.jpg)
Trevor Bayliss was also asked if the Sunrisers Hyderabad management were surprised to see Sam Curran open the innings for Chennai Super Kings. He responded that they were not entirely taken aback, given that CSK might have wanted to go with a left-right opening pair.
"Yes and no. Watson has done pretty well for them over the last few games. Probably a left-right combination at the top of the order. Sam is a good striker of the ball with the newer ball coming on."
He acknowledged that the Sunrisers Hyderabad bowlers could not get their lines and lengths right in the initial few overs while bowling to Curran.
"I don't think we bowled particularly well to him for a couple of overs. And obviously Watson coming in at No.3 is not too different from opening the batting."
On being asked about the short boundary on one side of the ground, the 2019 World Cup-winning coach responded that the CSK bowlers didn't allow them to target it. He added that the Sunrisers Hyderabad bowlers could learn from that.
"You want to target the shorter side of the boundary but if the opposition don't give you that opportunity, it makes it very difficult. That is probably one area where we have got to do a little bit better from the bowling point,to make the batters hit to the larger side of the ground."
Trevor Bayliss signed off by giving the example of Dwayne Bravo as one of the CSK bowlers who used his experience to make it hard for the Sunrisers Hyderabad batsmen.
"You saw with Bravo bowling, he made it very difficult to hit to the short side of the wicket. But that's the experience of the guy who has been playing top-level cricket for 20 years."
The Sunrisers Hyderabad were not allowed to get off to a flying start in their run-chase, with Sam Curran even getting the early wicket of the dangerous David Warner. Although Kane Williamson did play an enterprising 57-run knock, the wickets kept falling at the other end.
It turned out to be a bridge too far to cross for the Sunrisers Hyderabad once Williamson was dismissed. They eventually lost the match by 20 runs despite a couple of lusty blows by Rashid Khan towards the end.
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