New Zealand captain Tom Latham feels India hasn’t become a bad team, and he is optimistic that they will turn things around. The Kiwis registered their maiden Test series win on Indian soil and became the first team to whitewash India 3-0 while playing in India.
The Kiwis had entered the series as an underdog but as always they punched above their weight to yield a positive result. New Zealand won the opening Test at Bengaluru by eight wickets, then won the second Test at Pune by 113 runs.
The visitors wrapped up a convincing 3-0 series triumph with a 25-run win in the third Test match at Mumbai.
“Indian cricket, in general, is 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 after arriving in Wellington from India.
“They certainly don’t become a bad team overnight, and I’m sure they’ll turn things around in time,” he added.
On the other hand, New Zealand suffered a 0-2 series loss against Sri Lanka before arriving in India. Latham said the series win against India was special after things didn’t go their way against Sri Lanka.
“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.
“It is just about enjoying everyone’s company, celebrating together. We had a couple of extra days to recover over there, so that was great,” he said.
After playing a limited-overs series against Sri Lanka, New Zealand will host England in a three-match Test series and Latham expects it to be an exciting one.
“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.
“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,” said Latham.
The opening Test between New Zealand and England will be played at the Hagley Oval, Christchurch from November 28 onwards.
