World Cup: Tom Latham harps on adaptability for New Zealand's success

Kiwi skipper Tom Latham smells a tight contest against India when the two in-form teams clash at Dharamsala on Sunday, writes Meenakshi Rao

Dharamsala (Himachal Pradesh): New Zealand skipper Tom Latham has put a premium on quick adaptability to conditions and said having been able to do so has been the main reason for the success of his team in this World Cup.

“Being adaptable is one of the most important things for us as a group and trying to do that as quick as possible. We're in India, we’re offered different conditions. So, adaptability and sticking to the plan gives you a good chance,” Latham said at his pre-match press conference at Dharamsala on Saturday. New Zealand take on an unbeaten India at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium here on Sunday.

The Kiwis have been consistently reaching the top of World Cups for the last couple of editions and Tom Latham attributes this to the team playing its brand of cricket as best it can. “For us, sticking to our gameplan and trying to do that for long periods of time and stay in the game for as long as possible has been the key to what we've done. The last two ODI World Cups have been in Australia and England where conditions are reasonably similar to back home. This one's completely different,” he said.

When pointed out that it’s been almost 20 years since India won against New Zealand in a World Cup, Latham said, he is expecting a great contest tomorrow.

“India are a fantastic side. We've seen that over many years, especially at this World Cup as well. They're playing some fantastic cricket, which is great to see. On the back of that, I see two (in) form teams playing some good cricket, so it's going to be a great contest tomorrow,” he added.

For Tom Latham, playing well for 50 overs in both innings is important. Though, India's top order has been fantastic, Latham said his bowling attack “has done a really good job up front as well. So that's going to be a tight contest with bat and ball, vice versa with Indian seamers in our top order."

Star spinner Mitchell Santner has been making a wave of difference to the New Zealand team and he will be as much a factor for India in this dew-friendly venue under the mountains. His skipper calls him a “massive part of our side,” attributing it to the spinner’s long run with the Indian Premier League and familiarity with the Indian conditions.

A lot depends on how the Indian batters navigate Santner who has “performed really well and will be looking forward to trying to repeat that,” Latham said.

“Santner’s CSK (Chennai Super Kings) experience has helped him exploit the Indian conditions to the maximum. We've seen how adaptable he is in these conditions. He can turn the ball and has got a lot of bounce as well which makes him a threat,” Tom Latham said.

Leaning on the IPL experience, Latham added, is important but “we haven't played a lot of cricket up here in Dharamshala. So, for us, trying to adapt to conditions as quickly as possible will be crucial,” he said.