Latham reiterates need for making clear decisions for longer duration
For a good part of the opening two days of the Kanpur Test, New Zealand were the dominant side. They enjoyed the kind of start visiting teams seldom do on trips to the subcontinent. But the game took a usual turn on Day 3 and India soon catapulted away into a 1-0 lead. On the eve of the Eden Gardens Test (September 29), the left-handed opener spoke about his team's preparations, Kane Williamson's illness and the counter strategy to the Ashwin-Jadeja combine.
On health concerns surrounding Kane Williamson...
Kane [Williamson] is a little bit crook today. So he won't be training. Hopefully he'll be fine to go tomorrow. There is no discomfort, he is just down with a bug. Nothing too major, he is just resting up and getting right for tomorrow.
On playing at Eden Gardens...
It's a great ground, one of India's main grounds and I'm certainly looking forward to getting out there tomorrow and getting stuck into things.
On the approach to getting started in Indian conditions...
Nothing really changes too much [from Kanpur]. You have to do all the clich things you have to do at the start of an innings. We weren't too far away in the first Test. As Hess [Mike Hesson] has eluded to, we just need to do things for a little bit longer. If we can do that with bat and ball, we will have a good chance in this match.
On batting in the heat...
It is very difficult. At the start of your innings obviously it is a lot easier but the longer you bat the harder it gets. It is about keeping hydrated. The 12th men at the last game did a fantastic job of running out drinks to everyone. It is about keeping on top of the hydration and hopefully we can make clear decisions for longer.
On his dismissals against Ashwin in Kanpur...
That is the beauty of Ashwin, he is a world-class bowler and he showed that. The subtle natural variations he has are hopefully something we can pick up on a bit quicker. For me the straight one is the danger ball that is possibly going to get me out. Looking forward to getting into training and trying to rectify that.
On Kohli saying India might be open to DRS in future, would yo have liked this series to have DRS...
I suppose we've had it in the past back home and it is a good system that tends to work. It gets rid of that decision that probably isn't out or is out - that major decision that is called incorrectly. We enjoy it back home and if [India started using it] that'd be great.
On the added pressure with Guptill not scoring...
Guptill obviously hasn't scored the amount of runs he has wanted to. Like all of us, he is working extremely hard in the nets to rectify that. In the first innings, he showed a lot of intent and we got off to a reasonably good start. If he had kicked on then you never know. We are all - Guptill, myself and everyone - working really hard to try and perform for this team. I'm susceptible to getting out early as well, that is just the nature of cricket. Hopefully, if Guptill gets a chance tomorrow he can put a good score on the board.
On what can they do differently from Kanpur...
The first two days we played some really good cricket and probably heading into day three, we probably had the upper hand but we managed to slip away and we just didn't do things for long enough. We know how good India are in their home conditions and they exploited that really well against us. Hopefully we can change that.
Difficult to face Ashwin/Jadeja as a combination...
They are world-class bowlers and they bowl a lot of overs in these conditions. If we can keep making those good decisions for longer hopefully we can put a good score on the board or if we are chasing in the last innings we can chase [the total] down.
Any special plan for Vijay or Pujara...
I'm sure the bowlers will have their plans that they want to put in place. Starting on these surfaces is the toughest thing so if we can apply pressure in those first 10 or 20 balls to the new batsmen, hopefully we give ourselves a good chance of getting them out early.
Opening no longer the easiest job in India...
I certainly wouldn't say it is the easiest thing to do. It is slightly different to conditions back home and it doesn't necessarily seam round as much. I'm not sure what the wicket is going to play like tomorrow but whatever we are faced with, we have to adapt quickly and if we can build partnerships early on and not lose wickets in clumps then we can put a good score on the board.
On Ross Taylor's run out in first Test...
Obviously it was disappointing. No one wants to get out but I'm sure Roscoe would put his hand up and say it was his mistake. He was looking good out there and hopefully tomorrow if he gets in we can build partnerships all together.
Learnings from way Luke [Ronchi] and Mitch [Santner] batted in first test...
In the situations they came in, the way they played, they did a fantastic job. Especially in that second innings... after losing a couple of quick ones. They came in and steadied the ship. They certainly played very well. We've all got our own styles and game plans in the way we go about things but the way they hung in there for long periods [was good]. We saw that it did get easier to bat on, the longer they batted. Hopefully more of us can get in throughout the match and put out some good scores on the board.
Kolkata and the media interest...
We haven't really been out of the hotel. We went to the mall yesterday and saw little bit while driving from the airport to the hotel and to the mall. This is probably the most I've had to a media conference. We know how passionate Indians are about cricket and that is fantastic. We knew that when we came over and it is great to see the love and support you guys have for cricket.
On health concerns surrounding Kane Williamson...
Kane [Williamson] is a little bit crook today. So he won't be training. Hopefully he'll be fine to go tomorrow. There is no discomfort, he is just down with a bug. Nothing too major, he is just resting up and getting right for tomorrow.
On playing at Eden Gardens...
It's a great ground, one of India's main grounds and I'm certainly looking forward to getting out there tomorrow and getting stuck into things.
On the approach to getting started in Indian conditions...
Nothing really changes too much [from Kanpur]. You have to do all the clich things you have to do at the start of an innings. We weren't too far away in the first Test. As Hess [Mike Hesson] has eluded to, we just need to do things for a little bit longer. If we can do that with bat and ball, we will have a good chance in this match.
On batting in the heat...
It is very difficult. At the start of your innings obviously it is a lot easier but the longer you bat the harder it gets. It is about keeping hydrated. The 12th men at the last game did a fantastic job of running out drinks to everyone. It is about keeping on top of the hydration and hopefully we can make clear decisions for longer.
On his dismissals against Ashwin in Kanpur...
That is the beauty of Ashwin, he is a world-class bowler and he showed that. The subtle natural variations he has are hopefully something we can pick up on a bit quicker. For me the straight one is the danger ball that is possibly going to get me out. Looking forward to getting into training and trying to rectify that.
On Kohli saying India might be open to DRS in future, would yo have liked this series to have DRS...
I suppose we've had it in the past back home and it is a good system that tends to work. It gets rid of that decision that probably isn't out or is out - that major decision that is called incorrectly. We enjoy it back home and if [India started using it] that'd be great.
On the added pressure with Guptill not scoring...
Guptill obviously hasn't scored the amount of runs he has wanted to. Like all of us, he is working extremely hard in the nets to rectify that. In the first innings, he showed a lot of intent and we got off to a reasonably good start. If he had kicked on then you never know. We are all - Guptill, myself and everyone - working really hard to try and perform for this team. I'm susceptible to getting out early as well, that is just the nature of cricket. Hopefully, if Guptill gets a chance tomorrow he can put a good score on the board.
On what can they do differently from Kanpur...
The first two days we played some really good cricket and probably heading into day three, we probably had the upper hand but we managed to slip away and we just didn't do things for long enough. We know how good India are in their home conditions and they exploited that really well against us. Hopefully we can change that.
Difficult to face Ashwin/Jadeja as a combination...
They are world-class bowlers and they bowl a lot of overs in these conditions. If we can keep making those good decisions for longer hopefully we can put a good score on the board or if we are chasing in the last innings we can chase [the total] down.
Any special plan for Vijay or Pujara...
I'm sure the bowlers will have their plans that they want to put in place. Starting on these surfaces is the toughest thing so if we can apply pressure in those first 10 or 20 balls to the new batsmen, hopefully we give ourselves a good chance of getting them out early.
Opening no longer the easiest job in India...
I certainly wouldn't say it is the easiest thing to do. It is slightly different to conditions back home and it doesn't necessarily seam round as much. I'm not sure what the wicket is going to play like tomorrow but whatever we are faced with, we have to adapt quickly and if we can build partnerships early on and not lose wickets in clumps then we can put a good score on the board.
On Ross Taylor's run out in first Test...
Obviously it was disappointing. No one wants to get out but I'm sure Roscoe would put his hand up and say it was his mistake. He was looking good out there and hopefully tomorrow if he gets in we can build partnerships all together.
Learnings from way Luke [Ronchi] and Mitch [Santner] batted in first test...
In the situations they came in, the way they played, they did a fantastic job. Especially in that second innings... after losing a couple of quick ones. They came in and steadied the ship. They certainly played very well. We've all got our own styles and game plans in the way we go about things but the way they hung in there for long periods [was good]. We saw that it did get easier to bat on, the longer they batted. Hopefully more of us can get in throughout the match and put out some good scores on the board.
Kolkata and the media interest...
We haven't really been out of the hotel. We went to the mall yesterday and saw little bit while driving from the airport to the hotel and to the mall. This is probably the most I've had to a media conference. We know how passionate Indians are about cricket and that is fantastic. We knew that when we came over and it is great to see the love and support you guys have for cricket.
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