2nd Test: New Zealand's Tom Latham confident of spin challenge against India in Pune

Pune: New Zealand captain Tom Latham expressed confidence in his team's ability to adapt to the spin-friendly conditions expected in the second Test against India, to be held at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on Thursday. After a stunning eight-wicket victory in Bengaluru, where pacers dominated on a seamer-friendly pitch, Latham made it clear that the Black Caps were prepared for a very different challenge.

Latham emphasised that while they expected spin to play a larger role in Pune, New Zealand’s approach was to avoid preconceived notions about the surface. Instead, the team’s focus would be on quick adaptability and maximizing their bowling options. "Whatever we're presented with, for us, it's about trying to adapt as quick as we can,” Latham told the media ahead of the second Test here.

“If it is going to be a wicket that turns a little bit more, then we've got four spinners in our line-up, that will play into their hands, but it's (also) about to try not to go into the game with too many preconceived ideas. The surface is going to be potentially different than the one we had in Bengaluru, we need to adapt to the wicket really quickly," he added.

The Pune pitch has historically offered turn, and with India likely to lean heavily on their spinners, Latham admitted that utilising New Zealand’s own spin resources would be crucial.

The team has Ish Sodhi, Mitchell Santner, and Ajaz Patel among their primary spinners, with part-timers Rachin Ravindra and Glenn Phillips available as well. This array of spinning talent provides New Zealand with options they will need to explore against India’s formidable batting lineup. "I’ve given a little bit of thought to how we may utilize our spinners," Latham added. "We’ll try to get some information from previous games here and also use the practice wickets to understand the conditions better."

The second Test in Pune will be New Zealand's first on this ground, and Latham acknowledged the need to figure out the conditions as quickly as possible. The NZ captain stressed that the team was taking nothing for granted after their historic win in Bengaluru, where they bowled India out for a record-low 46 runs at home in a Test match. It was New Zealand’s first Test win in India in 36 years, but Latham made it clear that the focus now was entirely on the upcoming contest.

"It was a special performance, but our attention quickly turned to this game," Latham said. "We’re trying not to rest on what happened last week. We’re taking the confidence from that win into this game, but we’re focused on the task ahead."

While spin is expected to dominate in Pune, Latham knows that New Zealand’s pacers also made a significant impact in Bengaluru, rattling India’s strong batting lineup. However, the captain acknowledged that different conditions in Pune may call for a different approach, and New Zealand would need to adjust their strategy accordingly.

“The confidence that win gives us is probably the most important thing,” Latham said. “It shows that we can compete over here and we can do well. Now, we need to bring that confidence into the second Test and hit the ground running.”