The 21-run defeat to Delhi Capitals in Match 50 of IPL 2021 was a big learning experience for his team on playing against some of the best players on a good surface, Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper Kane Williamson said after the match on Thursday.
Williamson was talking about Delhi Capitals’ opener David Warner and Rovman Powell who shared an unfinished 122-run partnership for the fourth wicket as they helped their team reach 207/3 in 20 overs. Warner scored 92 not out while Powell slammed 67 not out that setting up Delhi Capitals for a big total.
In reply, Sunrisers Hyderabad was restricted to 186/8 in 20 overs despite a fighting 34-ball 62 by Nicholas Pooran and a 25-ball 42 by Akiden Markram, losing by 21 runs.
Williamson said that they could have won the match if they had batted a bit better and kept wickets.
“I think they had a fantastic total at the halfway stage. Having said that, as a batting unit you want belief and there was a lot of belief. It’s a pretty small ground and there was a little bit of dew. If we kept wickets in hand, then who knows. For us, it’s just going back to the drawing board and keeping things really simple,” Williamson said during the post-match presentation.
He said Warner and Powell put them under pressure and they could have bowled better.
“We were put under pressure a lot in that first half and allowed them to get an above-par total. An outstanding knock from David Warner and Powell at the end, two great contributions that went a long way toward them winning the game,” said Williamson.
“As a group, we were put under pressure. There are great opportunities to learn when you come up against the best and they play well. We still have a few games left. There’s some good cricket being played. If we put things together just that little bit more, then things can change pretty quickly,” the New Zealand captain added.
“You want to restrict a little bit more with the ball and do a little bit better with the bat and things can change but those two have been outstanding,” he said.
He said Pooran and Markram kept them in the hunt. “They’ve come out and played with that rhythm that they’ve had throughout this whole competition, which has been amazing for us in the middle order. You want to throw in a few more contributions and partnerships around it. We’re getting closer in these bigger chases,” Williamson said.
About his own indifferent form, Williamson, who has scored 199 runs in 10 innings, said, “You always want more runs. I’m certainly working hard and trying to play a role for the team, staying patient and committed to my own game. It’s one of those things. Every team is strong. It’s just committing to what’s important and trying to make contributions to the team moving forward.”
