Cricket

New Zealand's historic 3-0 Test series sweep against India has been met with graciousness from the Indian team, with skipper Tom Latham acknowledging the quality of Rohit Sharma's side and their ability to bounce back.Latham, who led the Kiwis to become the first visiting team to whitewash India in a three-match home series, praised the Indian team's resilience and quality. "Indian cricket in general is really special. We've played against them a lot. The guys play with them at the IPL. They were certainly gracious in defeat and they're still a quality side," Latham said.The series victory was particularly sweet for New Zealand, who had suffered a 0-2 defeat against Sri Lanka before landing in India. "When we were in Sri Lanka a few weeks, where things didn't necessarily go our way, so, I think it makes these times extra special when you're able to achieve something that hasn't been achieved before," Latham said.Latham also highlighted the challenge that awaits New Zealand in their upcoming three-match series against England, who have adopted an aggressive "Bazball" approach to Test cricket. "I think it's an exciting one. I guess you look at the Test matches in the past against England, whether it be home or away, they've always tended to be reasonably exciting. So, I'm sure this series will be no different," Latham said."They've got an attacking brand that they like to play and I'm sure it will be no different in terms of how they like to approach it. So, yeah, we're looking forward to it. Yeah, it'll be a great challenge," he added.

New Zealand's historic 3-0 Test series victory over India on Indian soil has been hailed as a testament to the Black Caps' resilience and determination. Skipper Tom Latham, while acknowledging India's formidable stature in world cricket, expressed his admiration for the team's unwavering spirit despite the defeat.The Black Caps' dominant whitewash, secured with wins in Bengaluru, Pune, and Mumbai, marked a significant milestone for visiting teams in India. Latham attributed the victory to his team's unwavering belief and ability to adapt to challenging conditions."We knew it was going to be a tough challenge, but we believed in ourselves and our abilities," Latham said. "We played to our strengths and adapted to the conditions, which was key to our success."Despite the historic feat, Latham emphasized that India remained a formidable force in world cricket. "Indian cricket is special, and the team is still a quality side," he said. "They have a lot of experience and talent, and I'm sure they'll bounce back."The victory was particularly sweet for New Zealand, coming on the heels of a disappointing 0-2 Test series defeat against Sri Lanka. Latham acknowledged the contrasting fortunes, highlighting the importance of seizing opportunities."When we were in Sri Lanka, things didn't go our way," Latham said. "But we learned from that experience and came back stronger. It makes this victory even more special, knowing that we've overcome adversity."Latham's comments reflect the mutual respect between the two cricketing nations. Despite the rivalry on the field, there is a deep appreciation for each other's skills and achievements.

Tom Latham's astute captaincy played a pivotal role in New Zealand's historic Test series triumph in India, breaking the hosts' formidable home streak of 18 consecutive series victories. Latham's leadership style, characterized by simplicity and unwavering trust in his bowlers, proved to be a winning formula.After Tim Southee relinquished the captaincy following New Zealand's disappointing losses in Sri Lanka, Latham stepped into the role. He immediately implemented a straightforward approach, avoiding excessive tinkering with the bowling lineup. In the second Test, he placed his faith in left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner, while in the third Test, he entrusted Ajaz Patel with the spin duties.Latham's unwavering belief in his bowlers paid dividends. Unlike Southee, who often sought to rotate bowlers frequently, Latham allowed his bowlers to settle into their rhythm and bowl extended spells. This strategy allowed the bowlers to develop a better understanding of the conditions and the opposition batters."He let bowlers just bowl. He let them stay, and he didn't try and introduce or change things just for the sake of change," said former New Zealand batter-turned-coach Craig Cumming. "The simplicity of doing that allowed them to be more successful."Latham's leadership also extended beyond bowling tactics. He fostered a positive and supportive environment within the team, which contributed to their success. The players felt empowered and confident under his guidance.New Zealand's series win in India not only marked a historic achievement but also propelled them into contention for the World Test Championship final at Lord's in June 2025. Latham's captaincy has been instrumental in their resurgence and has established him as a respected and successful leader in the world of cricket.

New Zealand's historic Test series triumph over India has sent shockwaves through the cricketing world. Led by the astute captaincy of Tom Latham, the Kiwis achieved an unprecedented clean sweep, marking India's first-ever 0-3 series defeat at home.Latham's leadership proved pivotal in navigating the challenging tour of India, a team renowned for its home dominance. Despite New Zealand's limited success in India, Latham instilled a sense of calm and methodical approach, maintaining team morale throughout the series.The Kiwis' adaptability was a key factor in their success. Latham praised the contributions of various players, highlighting the team's ability to adjust to different conditions. The seamers excelled in Bangalore, while different batsmen stepped up at crucial moments.Ajaz Patel emerged as the player of the match in the third Test, claiming 11 wickets for 160 runs. Will Young, with 244 runs in the series, earned the player-of-the-series award.Latham acknowledged the inspiration drawn from the New Zealand women's team's T20 World Cup victory. He emphasized the importance of runs on the board, especially when chasing on tricky wickets.Despite a disappointing 0-2 loss to Sri Lanka prior to the India series, Latham remained confident in his team's abilities. He attributed their success to winning crucial tosses and posting competitive totals.New Zealand's historic triumph is a testament to their resilience, adaptability, and the leadership of Tom Latham. It marks a significant milestone in the rivalry between the two cricketing giants.

New Zealand's historic 3-0 Test series sweep of India has been hailed as a testament to their adaptability and aggressive approach. Captain Tom Latham, who led the charge, attributed the victory to the team's collective effort and willingness to take risks."We're very, very ecstatic," Latham said after the 25-run victory in Mumbai. "We spoke about it after each Test match. We were trying to back it up, and I guess to finally do it here in Mumbai, on a completely different surface, one that would challenge us certainly with bat and ball - yeah, we're pretty happy."Latham emphasized the importance of adapting to different conditions, a key factor in their success. "I think just being able to adapt to each ground [gives the most satisfaction]," he said.The all-round performance of the team was crucial, with fast bowlers and Rachin Ravindra setting the tone in Bengaluru, and Mitchell Santner's 13-wicket haul sealing the series in Pune."We wanted to come over here and try to fire a few shots... and I certainly think we've done that," Latham said. "We've been a little bit more aggressive with the bat, tried to be a little bit more proactive, and again, with the ball, we've tried to keep things simple, understand how India play a little bit, and just try to do our best."The Mumbai Test witnessed the emergence of Ajaz Patel as a match-winner. After struggling in previous innings, Patel bagged 11 wickets in the game, including a 10-wicket haul in the second innings."Spin bowling's a little bit about rhythm, and sometimes when you're in rhythm, it's about making the most of it," Patel said. "And when the conditions present themselves to you, you have to take it by the horns and really do something for your team."New Zealand's victory marks the first time a visiting team has beaten India in a home Test series of at least three games in 12 years. It is a testament to their resilience, adaptability, and aggressive approach.

Tom Latham's maiden Test captaincy assignment was a daunting one: leading New Zealand on a tour of India, a formidable opponent with an unblemished home record since 2012. The Kiwis had only managed two Test victories in India since their first match in 1955, and even the legendary Stephen Fleming couldn't secure a win on Indian soil.Despite the odds stacked against them, Latham approached the challenge with a calm and methodical style. His level-headed demeanor maintained team morale, especially in tense situations. In the first Test at Bengaluru, Latham's decision to bowl first proved advantageous as the Kiwis bundled out India for their lowest-ever Test total at home - 46.In the second Test on a turning track in Pune, Mitchell Santner's 13 wickets in the match played a crucial role. However, Latham's 86 in the second innings was equally significant, setting India a daunting target of 359 runs. The hosts fell short, handing New Zealand a historic 113-run victory and their first-ever Test series triumph on Indian soil.Latham's experience as an opening batsman and seasoned Test player provided him with a deep understanding of New Zealand's strengths and weaknesses. He employed a balanced strategy, rotating bowlers effectively and adjusting fields to counter India's batting style. His approach emphasized resilience and discipline, encouraging his team to grind out runs and bowl consistently.Latham's trust in younger players like Daryl Mitchell and Will Young paid dividends, adding depth and adaptability to the New Zealand team. While his captaincy style may not have been as aggressive as some, his steady and balanced approach aligned well with the team's ethos.Despite the absence of batting mainstay Kane Williamson due to injury, Latham led New Zealand to a historic victory in India. His leadership provided stability and confidence, ensuring the Kiwis made history. Tom Latham's maiden Test captaincy assignment will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the finest in New Zealand cricket history.

Akash Deep's Fiery In-swinger Stuns Tom Latham in Mumbai TestOn Day 2 of the third and final Test in Mumbai, Indian pacer Akash Deep unleashed a breathtaking in-swinger that left New Zealand skipper Tom Latham in awe. The incident occurred in the first over of the Kiwis' second innings, with Latham looking to drive the ball. However, Deep's delivery nipped back sharply from outside off, finding its way through the bat-pad gap and crashing into the stumps.Latham, who had survived a close lbw appeal on the previous ball, was left stunned by the sheer pace and precision of Deep's delivery. The dismissal was a testament to Deep's exceptional skill, as he breached the opener's defense with ease.Deep's ability to extract such movement off the pitch highlighted his immense talent. The delivery was a perfect example of fast bowling at its finest, leaving both fans and analysts impressed.Earlier in the day, spinner Ajaz Patel had taken five wickets as New Zealand bowled out India for 263. Overnight batsman Shubman Gill made a valiant 90 before the Kiwis ended the home side's reply to their 235 in the second session at Wankhede Stadium.With India leading by 28 runs, the match is poised for an exciting finish. Deep's fiery in-swinger has given the hosts a psychological advantage, and they will be looking to capitalize on it in the remaining days of the Test.

Despite India's consecutive Test losses against New Zealand, visiting captain Tom Latham maintains that the Indian squad remains formidable without any significant weaknesses. New Zealand achieved a remarkable milestone by securing their first Test series victory in India, winning the opening match in Bengaluru by eight wickets and following it up with a decisive 113-run victory in Pune.While India faces comprehensive challenges across all departments in the current series, the New Zealand team, which has performed flawlessly throughout their tour, offered encouraging remarks about their opponents. "India are a quality side, things obviously haven't gone the way they wanted over the last couple of weeks but it doesn't make them a bad team overnight," Latham told reporters before New Zealand's training session at the Wankhede Stadium."They've got superstars from (Nos) 1 to 15 in their squad and we expect them to be in their best tomorrow and again a new challenge for both teams, a new surface." Latham added, "I'm sure a surface that they know well and a ground that they know well, so I certainly don't think they have any chinks - they're a quality team and it's going to be another great battle."With New Zealand leading 2-0, a clean sweep over India is possible, though Latham remained reserved about that prospect. "We've obviously done a lot of good stuff over the last couple of weeks but for us, every Test match you go (in with) the focus of trying to win key moments and not necessarily focusing on the result..." Obviously that's the byproduct of putting things together back-to-back, good sessions back-to-back so yeah, a different pitch, different conditions, it's obviously a lot hotter out there than what we've faced in the last couple of weeks," he said.Latham, who assumed New Zealand's captaincy before this tour, expressed satisfaction with his team's two wins, which have bolstered the inaugural World Test Champions' hopes of reaching another final. Prior to this tour, New Zealand's chances of a second WTC final appearance were slim, but they now need to secure victories in all four remaining Tests to stay in the race. Besides the upcoming third Test against India, New Zealand will face England in a three-Test home series.But once again, Latham opted to downplay the significance of their achievement and said, "The beauty of this team is we're a reasonably levelled team in terms of I guess when results don't go so well but also when you know results do go well." We try to keep things as level as we can and there's no bigger carrot in terms of what's coming up, if you know, if we are successful throughout this game." We always focus on the process around what that looks like from the start of the game and adapt throughout the game in terms of the game situation and what will be needed," he said.Latham stated that New Zealand's focus remains on the task ahead, rather than celebrating being the first Kiwi team in nearly 70 years to defeat India on their home soil. "The guys celebrated what was you know a fantastic last week and came here yesterday. We're a bit shocked by the heat, it was pretty hot out there, but yeah, again, another challenge and you know we'll certainly be looking forward to what's presented to us this week," he said.When asked whether overseas Test and series victories should hold more weight in the WTC points system, Latham expressed his contentment with the current setup. "I haven't necessarily thought about that as such. The introduction of the World Test Championship over the last five (to) six years has been fantastic and the context that it has put on Test cricket, rather than bilateral series, has been fantastic," he said."We've probably seen a few more results in terms of games that have been played certainly over the last period of time, so the context that's now given Test cricket is awesome." Being in the position with the first one (winning team) and being successful gives you a taste of what that success feels like and once you do it, you want to do it again," he added.

New Zealand's dominance over India continued in the second Test in Pune, as they extended their lead to a commanding 301 runs on the back of a brilliant batting performance led by captain Tom Latham.Mitchell Santner, who had wreaked havoc with the ball in the first innings, claiming seven wickets, continued his impressive form with the bat. He scored a crucial 45, providing stability to the New Zealand innings.Latham, however, was the star of the show. He played a captain's knock, anchoring the innings with a composed 86. His innings was characterized by patience and determination, as he weathered the Indian bowling attack and guided his team to a position of strength.Tom Blundell, who remained unbeaten on 30, provided valuable support to Latham. The duo shared a crucial 65-run partnership, further consolidating New Zealand's lead.India's bowlers, led by Washington Sundar, fought back in the second innings, claiming four wickets. However, the damage had already been done, as New Zealand's batsmen had built a substantial lead.With just one day remaining in the Test, India faces an uphill task to salvage a draw. New Zealand, on the other hand, is on the cusp of a historic series win in India.