India vs New Zealand: Tom Latham says 2016 series a learning curve

The pair had warmed up for the match by scoring big runs in the second of the two friendly games in Mumbai last week and they gave New Zealand’s season a cracking start. Bhuvneshwar and Bumrah have been exceptional in limited-overs.

“The team management backed them a lot and they believe in themselves”. “I am not too sure about the secret to success”. But Ross and Tom were fantastic. They batted really well.

On the fantasy cricket front, we feel it would be better to pick players from both teams, although the focus can be more towards the batsmen and all-rounders.

Karthick, who looked good during his knock of 37 off 47 deliveries admitted that he should have converted the start. In a match that left Indian fans disappointed, Ross Taylor and Tom Latham delivered a record 200-run stand, dealing strongly with the bowling attacks by Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav. He may have misread Kuldeep Yadav’s wrong’un in Mumbai, where he sliced a drive to cover, and this could mean a more watchful approach for the rest of the series.

“With the sweep shot”.

Latham said the Pune practice surfaces were “two-paced” and were “spinning a little bit”.

Taylor, who scored 95, told his younger colleague to try the reverse sweep and Latham did his bidding with aplomb.

“Everyone’s excited about the challenge ahead”, new opener Colin Munro said last night. “We all have drawn on those experiences and we were here a year ago, so we know what we would get, etc”.

When Martin Guptill was sent packing by Hardik Pandya in the 18th over for 32 New Zealand were at 80-3 and looking like they were heading for a heavy defeat.

“It is a bigger challenge for us to come back, we know we have our plans in place and it is a good testing ground for the team (on) how you come back from behind and do well in the series, he added”. “It’s one game where I’ve done well, but hopefully I can back it up in more games”.

“I think there is always a reason behind it (changes in batting order) and I have been talking to Hess (Mike Hesson) quite closely over the winter in terms of what he wanted, and taking the gloves and batting in the middle overs. They are used to these conditions and they have got their game”, Latham said on the eve of the second ODI in Pune.

A year ago they lost the decider in Visakhapatnam to go down 3-2, mirroring the final scores in 1995 and 1999. Today it was Tom and myself.

“You’ve got to consider the weather, consider the workload, how much they have bowled in the match, how much they have bowled at”.

“Boulty (Trent Boult) bowled outstandingly well but still a long way to go”, Taylor quipped. “The series started well and the preparations are coming off”.