IND vs NZ 2024: Tom Latham becomes third NZ skipper to win Test match in India

Tom Latham. (Photo Source: Jio Cinema)

New Zealand got off to an incredible start to the ongoing three-game Test series against the in-form Indian team. Latham replaced Tim Southee as the Black Caps’ skipper, and in his very first game in charge after replacing Southee, Latham wrote history.

Having defeated India at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru for the first Test of the series, Tom Latham became only the third New Zealand skipper to win a Test match on Indian soil. He joined the elite list with the likes of Graham Dowling and John Wright.

It is worth noting that Dowling was the first NZ skipper to win a Test match in India; he achieved the feat in 1969; back then, the side defeated the Indian team led by Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi by 167 runs. Furthermore, the second win for New Zealand on Indian soil came after 19 years.

Also Read: IND vs NZ 2024: Tom Latham credits Rachin Ravindra, other top performers from side after convincing win in 1st Test

Under the leadership of John Wright, New Zealand defeated the Dilip Vengsarkar-led Team India by 136 runs in 1988. Cut to 2024, and Tom Latham helped New Zealand register their third victory against team India.

Both sides locked horns in the first Test of the three-game series in Bengaluru and batting first, India were bundled out for a score of 46 runs in the first innings. In response, New Zealand posted a total of 402, gaining a mammoth lead.

In the second innings, team India was only able to score 462 runs, giving the visitors a target of 107 runs to win the game. A target that was easily achieved by the Black Caps.

In the end, New Zealand won the first Test of the series by eight wickets and gained the lead in the three-game affair. With Tom Latham scripting his name in history, the star batter will hope to put in similar performances in the second and third Test of the series and clinch the series.