26 October,2024 07:30 AM IST | Pune | PTI
Tom Latham
New Zealand captain Tom Latham on Saturday said the intention to fire first shots at India and winning the toss in the opening Test in Bengaluru as well as in the second Test here were key factors in their historic series win in India.
New Zealand crushed India by 113 runs in the second Test here on Saturday to take an unassailable 2-0 lead but also brought an end to the most successful home run for any Test side in terms of series wins at home.
India's defeat here at the MCA Stadium in the second Test, after losing the first in Bengaluru by eight wickets, meant their record of 18 series unbeaten at home came to an end.
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"We've played a style where we've fired a shot at India and we've been on the right side of a couple of tosses as well, that has been really important," Latham told the media after New Zealand's win inside three days.
"We've wanted to compete and wanted to fire a shot first up. We've done that in both games, with the ball in the first game but also with the bat here, being able to put first innings runs on the board has been really important. The bowlers went to work over the last couple of days which has been very pleasing to see," he added.
Latham, who has been a part of New Zealand's tours to India in 2016 and 2021, said winning the toss also played a major role in Kiwis' success. "We've been on the right side of a couple of tosses. I think that [in second Test] was the first toss that I've won or been part of, since being here so that played a big part, especially in Bangalore," he said.
In the rain-hit Bengaluru Test, India erred by electing to bat as New Zealand exploited seaming conditions perfectly to skittle them out for a lowly 46, their lowest in 294 home Tests.
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