Ex-New Zealand cricketer Craig Cumming has lauded Tom Latham for his excellent captaincy, which paved the way for the Blackcaps to achieve a historic 3-0 Test series win over India.
It was Latham’s first series as New Zealand’s full-time Test captain, and he guided New Zealand to an improbable series sweep in India.
“He captained the team brilliantly,” Cumming told SENZ Afternoons.
“He kept things simple. He didn’t try to chop and change all the time with the spinners, and he showed great trust in Mitchell Santner’s left-arm spin in the second Test, and then Ajaz Patel in the third Test.
“But he didn’t try to introduce bowlers all the time. In Sri Lanka, I think they nearly had too many options, and Tim Southee tried to find ways to always get people in the game.
“That’s not a criticism of Tim. But what I think Tom Latham did, especially with the ball and as a captain, was let bowlers just bowl. He let them stay, and he didn’t try to introduce or change things just for the sake of change.
The victorious New Zealand cricket team at the Wankhede Stadium. (Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty)
“You might get hit for one over—that’s fine. We’ll carry on. And I think the simplicity of that approach allowed them to be more successful. They always knew that they were the best option for those batters, and that gave them confidence to succeed.
“I think when they look back, that simplicity will be a hallmark of this series. From the first Test, you could see that was more the Tom Latham style.”
Cumming highlighted Latham’s trust in Glenn Phillips during the third Test at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai as an example of this approach.
“He kept things simple. He didn’t try to chop and change all the time with the spinners, showing trust in Santner in the second Test and then Ajaz in the third.
“He didn’t try to constantly bring in new bowlers. In Sri Lanka, they nearly had too many options, and Tim Southee tried to involve everyone.
New Zealand’s captain Tom Latham celebrates his half century on the second day of the second test cricket match between India and New Zealand, at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, in Pune, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. (PTI Photo)
“That’s not a criticism of Tim, but Tom Latham, especially as a captain, let the bowlers settle into their rhythm. He didn’t make changes just for the sake of it.”
Cumming also noted that Latham’s influence was apparent in the batting department.
“They tried to be more inventive,” Cumming said.
“They tried to be more proactive. You could really see that approach because, as we saw in the last Test, you’re going to face challenging deliveries, but you have to score as many runs as you can.
“They just fought. Every ball was a battle in itself.”
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