FILE PHOTO: Cricket - ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 - New Zealand Practice - Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala, India - October 21, 2023 New Zealand's Tom Latham during practice REUTERS/Adnan Abidi/File Photo
(Reuters) - New Zealand skipper Tom Latham said he was hugely proud of his team after the Black Caps secured a maiden series victory in India by winning the second test on Saturday.
Following a disappointing 2-0 defeat in Sri Lanka after which Tim Southee stepped down as captain, New Zealand were the superior team by far and handed India their first series defeat on home soil for 12 years.
"It's an immensely proud moment for this group. Coming off the back of a Sri Lanka series where we didn't get the results we wanted, to come here and play the style of cricket that we did... immensely proud," Latham said.
"To be in the position of winning two test matches here; a lot of New Zealand teams have come here in the past 69 years. To be the first team to win a series over here is special and I'm very proud of this group."
After blowing away India with pace in the eight-wicket win in Bengaluru, New Zealand tormented them with spin in Pune as Mitchell Santner claimed a match haul of 13 wickets to help script a 113-run victory.
"We've come here and played a style where I guess we've fired a little bit of a shot at India and been on the right side of a couple of tosses as well. That's been really important," Latham told reporters.
"We've come here and we've wanted to compete. We've wanted to fire a shot first up. I certainly think we've done that, with the ball in the first game but also with the bat here.
"To be able to put first innings runs on the board has been really important and then the bowlers went to work over the last couple of days which is very pleasing to see."
Latham said New Zealand would eye a clean sweep in Mumbai, where the series finale will begin on Friday.
"We'll certainly celebrate but once we head to Mumbai our focus will shift to that game."
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; editing by Clare Fallon)
