Cricket: Tom Latham provides blistering boost for Black Caps in India series

Tom Latham is congratulated by India coach VVS Laxman after his stunning century. Photo / photosport.nz

After all the focus on the Black Caps’ high-profile absentees, it was a low-key addition who made the difference in Friday’s demolition of India.

Tom Latham has been out of sight and out of mind during New Zealand’s recent glut of T20 cricket, watching their World Cup semifinal exit from home while toiling away in the relative anonymity of the domestic scene.

He’s hardly a fresh face, having played 201 matches for his country across three formats. But the boost his inclusion provided was abundantly clear during the first ODI at Eden Park, smashing a new high score of 145no from 104 balls and turning a challenging chase of 307 into a procession.

While the days before the match were dominated by Martin Guptill following Trent Boult in opting out of his central contract and penning a deal in the Big Bash League, Latham wrestled back attention one boundary at a time.

Not that seizing the headlines was his intention, though. Ahead of this afternoon’s second ODI at Seddon Park, a typically understated Latham was more surprised than anyone to find himself under the spotlight.

“I’m not really sure where it came from,” he said. “I’ve had a little bit of cricket under my belt recently with domestic cricket, a few four-dayers and a one-dayer on Tuesday.

“So the preparation’s been nice and I feel I’ve been hitting the ball reasonably well.”

The 30-year-old has found form for Canterbury, last month scoring centuries of 167 and 143no in consecutive Plunket Shield matches before making 59 in this week’s Ford Trophy clash against Wellington.

But there was still scant indication of what was to come against an Indian side confident following a 1-0 T20 series victory.

When Latham arrived at the crease with the Black Caps on 88-3 in the 20th over, the required run rate was already at 7.3. He and Kane Williamson (94no off 98) then put together a new fourth-wicket stand for New Zealand, compiling 221 from 165 deliveries to see their side home with 17 balls to spare.

Latham was the senior partner in that unbroken stand. He plundered 66 per cent of the runs while cracking five sixes and 19 fours, flourishing particularly behind square.

Watch every match of the BlackCaps v India series live on Spark Sport

The Black Caps still needed 91 runs when the 40th over began, but the balance of the match was thrown askew as Latham scored 23 runs off Shardul Thakur.

“It was just how it unfolded,” he said of the decisive over. “I started the over with a six so I was just trying to react, and he bowled a little bit straight to that shorter boundary [behind the wicket]. I was just trying to play good shots to the balls and it unfolded naturally.”

It was certainly timely, with the Black Caps shorn of two players in their top 25 of ODI appearances. Williamson (156) and Latham (115) are also on that list, proving there remains plenty of experience in their ranks.

“Building a partnership with Kane was really important,” Latham said. “We were under a little bit of pressure to take things deep.

“You lean back on experiences from games you’ve played in different conditions. [Friday] was one of those times when you were in a position to try and see the game through and be there at the end. It was certainly pleasing.”