Captain Tom Latham led New Zealand from the front and propelled them to a series-clinching 113-run win over India in the second Test in Pune. With this New Zealand halted India's 12-year reign of dominance in home Test cricket, which came to an abrupt end with a 2-0 series defeat. Tom Latham's leadership proved instrumental in New Zealand's historic series win. His astute captaincy and the team's disciplined performance allowed them to overcome the challenges of playing in Indian conditions. Latham's achievement of leading New Zealand to their first-ever Test series win in India is a remarkable feat, considering the team's long history of touring India.
On the contrary, this series defeat marked a big setback for India, who had previously enjoyed an unparalleled dominance in home Test matches.
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"This game was a clear example of everyone stepping up at the right times': Tom Latham
After the match, New Zealand skipper Latham highlighted what New Zealand did right to claim the series which Rohith Sharma-led Team India lacked. The Kiwi star said that the game was a clear example of everyone stepping up at the right times. Both batters and bowlers rose to the occasions when New Zealand needed them the most. While Devon Conway (76) and Rachin Ravindra (65) chipped with crucial knocks in New Zealand's first essay, it was Mitchell Santner shouldered Kiwi's bowling attack to leave India in a spin with his fiery 7/59 spell. Latham led from the front in the second innings with his 86-run knock. Santner returned to hunt down India batters yet again with his six-fer. Glenn Phillips and Ajaz Patel also played their parts in keeping India in check.
"It is obviously a special feeling. Very proud to be up here. It is a team effort. This game was a clear example of everyone stepping up at the right times. Very special. When you come here, you want to put your best foot forward. We wanted to stay with our feet out and the way Mitch Santner bowled in the first innings, he was fantastic. He bowled brilliantly in the first and second innings," Latham said at the post-match presentation.
Tom Latham scripts history after leading New Zealand to Test series win over India
Latham's captaincy debut for New Zealand was a resounding success. Taking over the reins after Tim Southee's resignation following a disappointing series loss to Sri Lanka, Latham led his team to a historic Test series victory in India. This achievement is particularly significant as he is only the fourth visiting captain to win a Test series in India since 2000, joining an elite group that includes Hansie Cronje, Adam Gilchrist, and Alastair Cook.
"[Takeaways from SL loss] Thought we didn't play too badly in SL. You look at the result but we did a few good things. We wanted to stick to the basics. We wanted to fire our shots and thought we have done that well. [Talk after day 2] Just wanted to be positive. We put ourselves on the front foot last night. The runs were important. The way GP played in the morning was very important. India came out hot, but we got the breakthroughs. It was a great middle session. Not just mitch but GP and Ajaz. The last three wickets took an age, but it was great," Latham concluded.
Talking about the second Test in Pune, after bowling out India for a modest total of 156 in the first innings, they posted a competitive score of 255 runs in their second innings, setting a target of 359 runs for India. Despite a promising start from the Indian openers, Mitchell Santner's exceptional bowling performance (6/104) restricted India to 245 runs, securing a comprehensive 113-run victory for New Zealand.
