Bengaluru: New Zealand new red-ball skipper Tom Latham is ready to lead team in what promises to be a challenging Test series against India, starting with the first match at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday. The 32-year-old is no stranger to captaincy, having led the Black Caps on nine previous occasions, and now, after Tim Southee’s recent resignation, he assumed the full-time role with a sense of responsibility and purpose.
Latham finds himself in a familiar situation. The last time New Zealand played Test cricket in India, in November 2021, he stepped in as captain when Kane Williamson was sidelined. Once again, Williamson will miss the first Test, this time due to a groin injury, and Latham acknowledged that the team would feel his absence. Williamson, the top run-scorer for New Zealand in the current World Test Championship cycle, leaves big shoes to fill, but Latham views this as an opportunity for others to rise.
“It’s a huge privilege for me to be in this position, regardless of whether I am captain or not. I am always trying to perform my role as best I can for the team. It’s not any different being captain. There is a little bit more responsibility. I have captained here in India before and back home as well,” Latham said on the eve of the first Test against India in Bengaluru.
Will Young, with 16 Tests to his name, is set to replace Williamson. Despite being shuffled across the top and middle order in his short career, Young will likely open the innings alongside Latham. Mark Chapman, uncapped in Test cricket, traveled as cover for Williamson but might not feature just yet.
New Zealand enters the series after a disappointing 0-2 defeat in Sri Lanka, where their batters struggled against spin, losing 37 out of 40 wickets to Sri Lankan spinners. Latham remains optimistic, choosing to focus on the positives. “The results weren’t ideal in Sri Lanka, but we did a lot of good things. The first Test was close, and we changed our approach in the second, except for one poor innings,” he reflected.
“In the last 12 months, a lot of teams have taken the approach of being a little more aggressive and putting bowlers under pressure a bit more. It depends on the surface you are up against... We have got different guys that play in completely different ways. It’s about letting guys go and express themselves as much as they can,” he explained. IANS\
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