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New Zealand captain Tom Latham expressed pride after his team secured their first Test win in India in 36 years, defeating the hosts by eight wickets in Bengaluru. This victory marks only the third time New Zealand has triumphed in Tests on Indian soil.
Latham, who was dismissed for a duck by Jasprit Bumrah, watched from the dressing room as Will Young and Rachin Ravindra steadied the ship, guiding New Zealand from a precarious 35-2 to a successful chase of 107 runs on the final day of the Test.
This win gives New Zealand a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series. Their previous Test victories in India occurred in 1969 in Nagpur and in 1988 in Mumbai. New Zealand set the tone for their historic win by bowling India out for just 46 runs on the first day, which stands as the home team’s lowest Test total.
“It’s obviously a special feeling,” Latham remarked. “There have been a lot of teams that have come here over that long period of time. The work we did in that first and second innings with the ball and with the bat set up the game for us.”
This victory is particularly significant for Latham as it is his first win as full-time captain, having replaced Tim Southee earlier this month.
India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, acknowledged the difficulties faced by his side, particularly in the first innings. “We didn’t think we’d be 46 all out, but due credit to New Zealand. It set us back, and games like this will happen,” he said.
In a strong response, India managed 462 runs in their second innings, bolstered by Sarfaraz Khan’s impressive 150 and 99 runs from wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant. However, after losing Latham to Bumrah’s lbw on the second ball of the day, India could not capitalize further.
Ravindra, who was named player of the match, scored an unbeaten 39, while Young hit the winning runs, finishing with 48 runs.
Rohit Sharma remains optimistic about his team’s prospects, stating, “We have to take the good things forward,” ahead of the second Test scheduled to begin in Pune on Thursday. India has a strong home record, having won 18 consecutive Test series at home since 2012, but they will need to bounce back to avoid losing their first series in over a decade.
