“We were not confident of beating India after dismissing them for 46”: New Zealand captain Tom Latham
New Zealand defeated India by 8 wickets in the first Test of the three-match series in Bengaluru. The Kiwis played the perfect game and outplayed India in three departments. The hosts were bowled out for 46 runs in their first innings, and despite a sensational batting effort of Sarfaraz Khan (150) and Rishabh Pant (99) in the second innings, there was no comeback. New Zealand captain Tom Latham was not sure of his team’s win despite restricting the home nation to their lowest total ever in India.
The visitors posted 402 runs in their reply, with Rachin Ravindra (134), Devon Conway (91) and Tim Southee (65) making the Indian bowlers pay. The Men in Blue amassed 462 runs in the second innings but the target of 107 didn’t threaten the Kiwis as Will Young and Rachin completed the formalities.
Latham was aware that India would hit back in style, and the Rohit Sharma-led team proved his fear right.
“We were not confident of beating them despite their total of 46 runs. I knew our fast bowlers got help from the pitch, and their seamers would record the same kind of performance. But kudos to Rachin and Tim (Southee) for the way they scored runs in the testing conditions. That partnership was crucial for us.
“I had a feeling that Indian batters would come hard in the second innings, and they posted a big total. However, the lead we had on the basis of the first innings didn’t allow the target to get bigger. It is always good to start a series with a win and when you register a victory in India, it becomes extra special,” Tom Latham said during the post-match presentation ceremony.
Comments are closed.