NZ skipper Latham expects ‘great battle’ in final Test

NZ captain Tom Latham dives for a catch at Wankhede yesterday. Pic/Atul Kamble

Having already recorded a historic feat by beating India in a Test series in their own backyard, New Zealand skipper Tom Latham has the chance to now take it a notch further and register a whitewash against Rohit Sharma & Co as the third and final Test begins at the Wankhede on Friday. The Kiwi captain however, does not wish to view it from a whitewash perspective. "We've done a lot of good stuff over the last couple of weeks, but for us in every Test match, you go in with the focus of trying to win the key moments, not necessarily focusing on the result," Latham said at the match-eve press conference on Thursday.

NZ opener Latham, who scored a crucial 86 in the second innings of the Pune Test, which visitors won by 113 runs, added that the conditions in Mumbai are different from that in the previous Tests. "That [two Test wins] is the byproduct of putting things together back to back, good sessions back to back. This is a different pitch [at Wankhede], and these are different conditions. Also, it's a lot hotter out there," said Latham.

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Though the Kiwis have outclassed the Indians in the series so far, Latham reckoned the third Test will be a great battle given the quality of players in the opposition. "India are a quality side. Things haven't gone the way they wanted over the last couple of weeks, but it doesn't make them a bad team overnight. They've got superstars from one to 15 in their squad and we expect them to be at their best tomorrow [Friday].

"It's a new challenge for both teams, a new surface, I'm sure [it's] a surface that they [India] know well and a ground that they know well. It's going to be another great battle tomorrow," added Latham.