"Doesn't make them a bad team overnight" - Tom Latham on India despite IND vs NZ 2024 Test series defeat
New Zealand Test captain Tom Latham believes Team India are a well-drilled Test side despite the shocking series loss to the Black Caps. He claimed that they have a host of superstars. Latham expects another great battle as the two sides gear up for the third and final Test in Mumbai on Friday, November 1.
The Kiwis didn't start as favorites before the series but have shocked India, capitalizing on the hosts' consistent errors to take an unassailable 2-0 lead. It also proved to be their first series win in India and the Black Caps hadn't won a Test in the sub-continent nation since 1988.
At a pre-game presser, Latham said they expect the hosts to be at their best on day one of the Mumbai Test and said, as quoted by IANS:
"Well, I think India is a quality side. Things obviously haven't gone the way they wanted over the last couple of weeks. But I said last week, it doesn't make them a bad team overnight. They've got superstars, you know, from 1 to 15 in their squad, and we expect them to be at their best tomorrow.
"And again, a new challenge for both teams, a new surface, I'm sure a surface that they know well on a ground that they know well. So I certainly don't think they have any chinks, you know, they're a quality team and it's going to be another great battle tomorrow."
The Black Caps have managed to outplay India across facets in the two Tests played thus far, especially the batters, who have looked inept against spinners. Left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner starred with 13 wickets in the Pune Test to fire their side to a 113-run victory.
"Not every day is going to be your day" - Tom Latham
Latham also took pride in how well they have stepped up as a team. He suggested that Ajaz Patel could step up again at the Wankhede, where he took 10 wickets in an innings in 2021. He added:
"Yeah, I think that's just the beauty of being a team. Not every day is going to be your day, whether that be with the bat, whether that be with the ball. I think it's understanding your role at a certain time. And we obviously saw last week that, Mitch bowled fantastically well on a wicket that really suited him.
"And obviously, you look back a few years ago, the wicket out here obviously suited AJ pretty well too, in terms of what he was able to achieve."
"So I think when you've had success at a grant, you know, coming back to a venue that's familiar and you've done well certainly gives you confidence."
New Zealand could well become the first team to whitewash India in their backyard in a three-Test series.