New Zealand skipper Tom Latham was elated with his team’s extraordinary performance to clinch the Test series and said he was overwhelmed with the support back home.
“We’ve got a lot of support back home after the win. People are talking about it and that makes it very special for us. I guess to see the messages and see what people are talking about. So yeah, its special what has happened over the last couple of weeks. We have been working hard on this tour from a very long time and to be in this position is pretty exciting. We appreciate all the support that has been given and come our way,’’ he added.
Latham revealed he is in touch with star batsman Kane Williamson, who is not featuring in the Test due to injury.
“Kane obviously has been following us and we have been in touch with him and he is super proud of what we’ve achieved. He’s obviously gutted that he can’t be here but he is super proud of the work that we have put in and the results that we have got so far,’’ Latham said.
Latham stated India are a quality side despite the results not going their way.
“Obviously things haven’t gone that well for them but that doesn’t make them a bad team overnight. They’ve got stars from 1 to 15 in their squad and we expect them to be at their best tomorrow when we play. Again a new challenge for both teams and a new surface. They are a quality team and its going to be another great battle tomorrow,’’ he added.
Mumbai-born Ajaz Patel will be in focus when the game gets underway and Latham said Patel will certainly enjoy bowling at the Wankhede.
“Not everyday is going to be your day. I think its about understanding your role at a certain time. Obviously he will have a role here on a wicket that suits him. It will certainly help coming back to a venue where he has done extremely well in the past and I think Ajaz has done a great job in the last one week by just tying one end up at different stages of the game,’’ NZ skipper said.
Latham also explained NZ will not get carried away by the situation they are in and focus on the Mumbai Test.
“We always focus on what is the process from the start of the game and you adapt throughout the game based on what is the situation. The guys obviously celebrated what was a fantastic week and now we are onto another challenge,’’ he added.
Latham had words of praise for Indian bowlers Mohammad Siraj and Akash Deep.
“They are both quality bowlers and understand these conditions pretty well and they both present different challenges. Akash can swing the ball both ways, bowls wicket to wicket. You saw how he bowled against Bangladesh when he got the opportunity. Obviously, Siraj is a great competitor and we’ve seen him here swinging the ball and taking it away.”
NZ captain said he was trying to strike a balance between focusing on his captaincy duties and personal performance.
