New Zealand's captain Tom Latham poses with the trophy after winnng the third Test cricket match against India at Wankhede Stadium, in Mumbai.
Credit: PTI Photo
Mumbai: No Kane Williamson, no history of having done well in India, not much experience playing on turning tracks, and not many quality spinners. And yet, New Zealand were able to subject Indian cricket to a day of mourning.
Only weeks ago, New Zealand were swept in a two-match Test series in Sri Lanka. So, when they arrived in India - on the back of a 36-year winless drought here - nothing more than a typical Kiwi fight was expected from them.
On Sunday, they swept India in a three-match series in their backyard. Any attempt to understand how this transpired will be futile because even skipper Tom Latham didn’t quite know how to process this triumph.
“I’m sort of lost for words a little bit in terms of what has happened over the last three days, and also the last three weeks. If you asked me at the start of the tour whether I'd be in this position, sure, I would have liked to be in this position, but I wouldn’t have said yes. But, to be here now and play the cricket that we've played is really special. I’m really proud of the group.”
New Zealand have been one of the most consistent teams in world cricket for a period of time now, but they seldom get the attention the likes of India, Australia and England do. Maybe that’s because of their brand of cricket or because they, as a people, are workmanlike in their approach. This victory, though, is likely to bring them far more attention now. Still, Latham wasn’t swayed.
“It's obviously a great moment for New Zealand cricket, probably one of New Zealand cricket's greatest series wins. Again, all we can do is keep doing our thing, keep playing cricket and keep playing our brand of cricket. We do feel the support back home. Nothing else really matters to us,” he said.
“It's been a massive achievement. After the first Test, it was pretty special. The second one, to win a series, was even more special. To be in this position 3-0, it's certainly a series I'll never forget. We'll celebrate as a group together tonight and the next couple of days before we head home.”