New Zealand skipper Tom Latham seemed beaming after winning the first Test against India at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru – their first victory on Indian soil after 36 years.
Skipper Tom Latham did not let this golden opportunity slip past to praise Sarfaraz Khan and Rishabh Pant. His side responded valiantly after being asked to follow on and earn a draw.
After trailing by 356 runs, Sarfaraz and Pant played knocks of 150 and 99 to keep the aspirations high for the hosts in the second innings. But they didn’t perform well in the end as the BlackCaps won by eight wickets.
Tom Latham stated in the post-match press conference that his side never knew that India would make a comeback despite being bundled out for 46 runs in the first innings.
“As I said, the first two innings, with the ball in hand and then the bat, took us, and from the front footer perspective, we knew India would come back.
From the wicket’s point of view, it was probably at its best over the last couple of days. We knew it would 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 a 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.
