HAMILTON: New Zealand batting coach Luke Ronchi was in awe of left-handed batter Tom Latham's stunning 145 against India in the first ODI at Eden Park, Auckland, saying that the wicketkeeper-batter's professionalism and mindset comes in the limelight when he does things like what happened on Friday.
In chasing a daunting 307, New Zealand were in trouble at 88/3 in 19.5 overs. But Latham, took the game away from India, hitting an inexperienced bowling attack all over the park to end up unbeaten on a career-best score of 145 off 104 balls, laced with 19 fours and five sixes.
But it was his 25-run onslaught on Shardul Thakur in the 40th over, where one six and four boundaries were hit, apart from reaching the three-figure mark, which firmly tilted the match in New Zealand's favour.
"He knows how to get himself in first, and that's a big skillset whether you are three for nothing or three for lot, you still have to pace your innings in that sort of way. Tom's professionalism and mindset is what comes to the forefront when he does those things. His running between the wickets and just the intensity, attitude you have at the start of the innings, he does it really well," said Ronchi to reporters before the second ODI on Sunday.
With New Zealand having played a majority of T20 action, it meant that Latham didn't get much international matches to play. But he brushed aside all those doubts in scintillating fashion, stitched an unbeaten 221-run stand off 165 balls with skipper Kane Williamson, who remained not out on 94. IANS
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