New Zealand plan to take the game to India with a “no fear” approach when they play tests in Bengaluru, Pune and Mumbai over the next month, new captain Tom Latham said on Friday. Latham took over as permanent test captain from Tim Southee last week and said touring India, who have not lost a Test series at home in more than a decade, was a “great challenge”.
“Hopefully (we’ll) play with a bit of freedom, bit of no fear and try take it to them. And if we do, hopefully that gives ourselves a good chance,” he told reporters at Christchurch airport on Friday before his departure for India.
“I think in India, we’ve seen teams that have done well there in the past have been quite aggressive towards them, especially with the bat,” the 32-year-old added.
“They’ve looked to play a few shots but also put them under pressure, which is really important over there, rather than sitting and waiting for something to happen.”
Latham said he did not envisage much of a change to the side’s approach under his leadership.
“We’ve obviously done a lot of good stuff as a Test team over a period of time, and it’s about trying to take all the good stuff that we’ve been doing, try to continue doing that,” he said. “And I think for me, it’s just about putting my spin on things. And that may look different, it may look slightly the same, but wait and see, it’s obviously not going to change overnight.”
Latham has already captained the Black Caps on several occasions on a temporary basis, mainly when his predecessor but one, Kane Williamson, was injured.
Williamson has been ruled out of the first Test, which starts in Bengaluru on Wednesday, due to a groin injury sustained against Sri Lanka and did not travel with the squad on Friday.
Injured Bavuma to miss first Test against Bangladesh
South African captain Temba Bavuma will miss the first Test against Bangladesh later this month as he recovers from an elbow injury.
Bavuma will travel to Bangladesh with the team next week but a left triceps muscle strain will keep him out of the first Test starting in Dhaka on October 21.
According to a statement from Cricket South Africa, it is hoped Bavuma will be fit for the second Test starting in Chittagong on October 29.
Aiden Markram will captain the team in the first Test. Markram has captained South Africa in white-ball cricket but it will be his first time in charge of the Test team.
Amended South Africa squad: Temba Bavuma, Aiden Markram, David Bedingham, Matthew Breetzke, Dewald Brevis, Tony de Zorzi, Keshav Maharaj, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Lungi Ngidi, Dane Paterson, Dane Piedt, Kagiso Rabada, Tristan Stubbs, Ryan Rickelton (wkt) and Kyle Verreynne (wkt).
Fixtures:
October 21-25: First Test, Dhaka.
October 29-November 2: Second Test, Chattogram.
Tom Latham
