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‘Knew they are going to come back’: NZ skipper Tom Latham on Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant's fightback
New Zealand captain Tom Latham seemed ecstatic after his side won a Test on Indian soil after 36 years.
Despite winning the first Test against India at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, New Zealand captain Tom Latham did not miss a chance to laud the efforts of Sarfaraz Khan and Rishabh Pant. Trailing by 356 runs, Sarfaraz and Pant played knocks of 150 and 99 respectively, to help the hosts gain a lead in the second innings. However, in the end, their efforts did not prove to be enough as the BlackCaps registered a win by eight wickets.
During the post-match press conference, Tom Latham said that his side always knew that India are going to make a comeback, despite being bundled out for 46 in the first innings.
"As I said, the first two innings, us with the ball in hand and then the bat, I guess took us on the frontfoot. From our perspective, we knew India are going to come back. From the wicket's point of view, it was probably at its best over the last couple of days, we knew it was going to be a challenge against India as they have a lot of firepower in their lineup and they kept challenging us. They kept asking good questions, for them to get a lead from the position they were in, was quality effort. But our effort with the new ball last evening, was outstanding. We managed to ask questions and get the rewards," said Tom Latham.
Tom Latham sends best wishes to New Zealand women's team ahead of T20 World Cup final
Sunday can prove to be a special day for New Zealand as the women's team squares off against South Africa in the Women's T20 World Cup final, later in the day. Tom Latham sent his best wishes to the White Ferns, saying, it will really be a special moment if New Zealand gets over the line.
"It has been a great morning from our point of view, but hopefully it can be an even better day for New Zealand cricket. The guys have been following the Women's T20 World Cup, for the girls to be in a position to win the tournament is pretty special. Hopefully, the White Ferns can get over the line, we wish them all the best," said Tom Latham.
Coming back to the first Test between India and New Zealand, the visitors chased down the total of 107 on Day 5 in the first session. Will Young and Rachin Ravindra took New Zealand over the line. This is now Kiwis' first Test win on Indian soil after a gap of 36 years.
"It was extremely difficult, a lot of teams have come here over the years. I think, 36 years, was the last time when we won here. Obviously, it is a special feeling to be in this position. I think, the work we did in the first innings and second innings, with both the bat and ball, set this game up for us. It is a proud moment for this group and one, which we will celebrate," said Latham.
"Every team has their own template, which they like to use. We have come here, but haven't managed to get the result, but it's nice to have attributes of someone like William O'Rourke, who is really tall. I think it was a combination of everything," he added.
