Ecstatic Latham, Mitchell, and Ajaz talk about the series win after New Zealand did what no other side has done before.
Ecstatic Latham believes being “a little bit more aggressive with the bat” was one of the reasons behind New Zealand’s historic 3-0 sweep.
“We spoke about it after each Test match. We were trying to back it up, and I guess to finally do it here in Mumbai, on a completely different surface, one that would challenge us certainly with bat and ball – yeah, we’re pretty happy,” Latham said at the post-match presentation. “I think just being able to adapt to each ground [gives the most satisfaction].”
The “all-round, great team effort” that made New Zealand the first visiting team to defeat India in a home series in twelve years was highlighted by Latham. Mitchell Santner’s 13-wicket performance helped them win the series in the second Test in Pune, despite Rachin Ravindra and the fast bowlers setting the stage in the first Test in Bengaluru.
“We wanted to come over here and try to fire a few shots… and I certainly think we’ve done that,” an ecstatic Latham said. “We’ve been a little bit more aggressive with the bat, tried to be a little bit more proactive, and again, with the ball, we’ve tried to keep things simple, understand how India play a little bit, and just try to do our best. The guys have chipped in at different times, which has been the most important thing, and really happy to be standing here in this position.”
However, Ajaz Patel, who took 11 wickets in the match after only taking four at an average of 49.25 in three innings prior to the tour, was another different hero in the victory in Mumbai.
Ajaz scored 5 for 103 in the first innings and 6 for 57 in the second at Mumbai. Despite having already dismissed Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Sarfaraz Khan, and Ravindra Jadeja by lunchtime, he destroyed the majority of India’s lineup on Sunday, from Nos. 3 to 8. He also claimed that the surface at the Wankhede Stadium didn’t change as much in the morning session on day three.
“Spin bowling’s a little bit about rhythm, and sometimes when you’re in rhythm, it’s about making the most of it,” Ajaz said after picking up the Player-of-the-Match award in Mumbai, the city of his birth. “And when the conditions present themselves to you, you have to take it by the horns and really do something for your team.”
Kane Williamson had missed all three Test matches owing to injury, therefore New Zealand had arrived in India without him. However, Will Young, who replaced him, won Player-of-the-Series with 244 runs in the series. He scored double half-centuries on a challenging track in Mumbai and began the chase in Bengaluru, where New Zealand had lost early wickets, with a cool 48*.
Shortly after the women’s team won the T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates last month, Mitchell provided a brief summary as New Zealand celebrated the series victory.
“We’re just a bunch of Kiwis taking on the world, and very proud to represent our country,” he said. “We know how good India are – they’ve got a number of world-class players – and for us, it’s just [about] hanging in there, keep doing what Kiwis do, and yeah, very proud of this group today.”