Tom Latham leads New Zealand to their first-ever Test series win in India

Three things are were certain in life: Death, taxes and India winning at home. 

But now even that third part has become a thing of the past, as the visiting New Zealand became the first team to breach the Indian fortress after 4,331 days. In Tom Latham’s first-ever gig as a full-time skipper, the Black Caps did the unthinkable, clean-sweeping India in the first two Tests to wrap up the series. 

After a stellar win in Bengaluru, where they knocked India by eight wickets, they went one notch up and beyond on a rank turner in Pune, winning by 113 runs. Prior to this series, New Zealand hadn’t won a single Test in India for over 60 years but now have won back-to-back Tests, scripting history. 

"It is obviously a special feeling. Very proud to be up here. It is a team effort. This game was a clear example of every stepping up at the right times. Very special. When you come here, you want to put your best foot forward. We wanted to stay with our feet out, and the way Mitchell Santner bowled in the first innings, he was fantastic. He bowled brilliantly in the first and second innings," Latham said in the post-match presentation.

It was also New Zealand’s first-ever away series win in ten years when they beat West Indies by a margin of 2-1 and their first-ever away series win since the World Test Championships (WTC) began. For India, however, it was a shameful series of events, as they have now lost three home Tests in 2024, the second-most in a calendar year.

Not just that, Rohit Sharma, too, would want to look away from this stat, as he has the joint second-most losses for an Indian skipper at home, only behind Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, who had nine losses in 27 Tests. It also broke an 18-series winning streak for India, which started all the way back in 2013, after their shambolic 2-1 loss at the hands of England back in 2012. 

Latham became the fourth skipper in this entire century (since 2000) to lead his side to a Test series win in India, after Hansie Cronje (2000), Adam Gilchrist (2004), and Sir Alastair Cook (2012).

If you’ve not downloaded the Cricket.com app yet, you’re missing out on our content — big time. Download the App here.