Here is how New Zealand bossed around the Indian bowlers

On Sunday, New Zealand team did something which many including Steve Smith’s Australian side failed to achieve in the recent past. Kane Williamson’s men not only sealed the series opener by an emphatic 6-wicket win but has also managed to take a 1-0 lead over the Indian team in the 3-match series. Ross Taylor and Tom Latham bossed around the Indian spinners and never looked like in trouble.

Veteran batsman Taylor is happy about the fact that Latham listened to him and played sweep shots and reverse sweep to disturb the line of the Indian spinners. Latham scored an unbeaten hundred and stitched a 200-run stand with Taylor, who missed out on his hundred by mere five runs. The Kiwis chased down a fighting 281 without breaking a sweat.

“With the sweep shot, we were able to put pressure on the spinners and forced them to adjust their lengths. I thought he (Latham) did that outstandingly well. I told him to reverse sweep and he did it, and he kept doing it,” Taylor said at the post-match press conference.

“Having to field out there for over three and a half hours, we knew we had to get off to a good start and try and negate their spinners. Traditionally, New Zealand come here and struggle up front in our innings.” he added

In-form duo thrash India

The visitors got off to a solid start courtesy Martin Guptill and Colin Munro and the middle order capitalized in the start.”Being able to rotate the strike in the right-left combination with Tom, I think you have got to give credit to Gup (Guptill) and Munners (Munro). They set the platform for us and we were able to rotate the strike and take it deep, and then we knew we were in a good position in the game,” Taylor analyzed.

The previous tours and experience of playing in the IPL helped Taylor master this knock and gain immense amount of confidence coming into this challenging series. “I have come here many times before whether it’s international cricket or IPL. I am not getting any younger and just wanted a bit of a push and just had a bit more intent I think.

“Through those middle stages in the past, you take up a far too many dot balls, so made a conscious effort of being a bit more busier at the crease, work on a few shots and open up the off side. Tom and I got some runs in the warm-up game and it was nice to bring that form into Wankhede,” Taylor said referring to their respective centuries in the second warm-up against Board President’s XI.