Williamson best No. 3 batsman in the world: McMillan

New Zealand batting coach Craig McMillan is all but praise for Kane Williamson and said that the skipper is the best No. 3 batsman in world cricket.

"I think he's the best No. 3 in the world," ESPNcricinfo quoted McMillan as saying.

"The reality is that when you bat at No. 3 you can be an opener, new-ball bowlers are fresh in difficult conditions. Kane is very mentally strong around that, it's a position he enjoys so I don't see any point at all in tweaking that," he added.

The comments from the former New Zealand batsman can be justified seeing Williamson's record at the number three position.

He has played 90 of his 109 innings at No. 3 since 2011, and has scored 4346 runs at 53.65. He is the ninth-most prolific No. 3 of all time.

The comments from McMillan come after team's embarrassing three-day, eight-wicket defeat in the second Test against South Africa at the Basin Reserve, in which Williamson had his worst return in a Test with two completed innings.

Williamson, the current World No. 2 batsman, made two and one in the match, facing just 16 balls.

In Dunedin, Williamson had to come out to bat in the sixth over itself. While in Wellington, he had to come in the seventh and fifth over of the innings.

Opener Tom Latham has just scored 24 runs in three innings in the series, following a string of poor ODI returns - and the absence of regular No 4. Ross Taylor through a minor calf tear.

The New Zealand batting coach further insisted that Latham needs to "go back to basics" to try and escape his lean run of form.

"Tom's obviously going through a tough patch but we know what a quality player he is, and has been for a number of years," McMillan said.

"It's about him getting back to basics. One of his decisions was poor, to drive when it wasn't full enough to drive, and he acknowledged that. We need to get him back to making those good decisions and everything else will flow from there," he added.

The team teams will next lock horns in the third and final Test in Hamilton, starting next Saturday.