New Zealand captain Tom Latham is confident as his team prepares to face England in the first Test of a three-match series at Hagley Oval, starting on Friday. With a spot in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final at Lord’s still within reach, the Kiwis are targeting a 3-0 clean sweep to stay in contention.
While England is out of the WTC race, their aggressive brand of cricket under Ben Stokes promises to be a formidable challenge.
Returning to familiar conditions, Latham stressed the importance of adapting quickly to gain the upper hand.
“New conditions, new team – for us, it’s about taking as much confidence as we can from the previous series. Coming back to familiar conditions is always nice, and we need to build on that momentum,” Latham told ESPNcricinfo.
Reflecting on New Zealand’s recent Test series in India, Latham praised the team’s resilience in tough conditions, emphasizing adaptability as a key factor in their approach against England.
“The most pleasing thing was how we went about things in tough conditions. We constantly talk about adapting quickly, and it’s just as important to do the same here.”
With Tests scheduled in Christchurch, Wellington, and Hamilton, New Zealand faces a tall order to sweep the series. A whitewash is their only path to securing a spot in the WTC Final, and Latham believes execution and consistency will be crucial.
England Playing XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ollie Pope (WK), Ben Stokes (C), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Shoaib Bashir.
Probable New Zealand XI: Tom Latham (C), Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell, Glenn Phillips, Nathan Smith, Matt Henry, Tim Southee, Will O’Rourke.