Tom Latham aims to lead New Zealand with fearless approach in Test series against India

Tom Latham, New Zealand's new Test captain, is determined to guide his team with a fearless mindset as they gear up for a challenging three-match series against India. 

Latham took over as captain after Tim Southee stepped down following New Zealand's recent series against Sri Lanka. The upcoming series, which starts in Bengaluru and will also take place in Pune and Mumbai, comes at a crucial time for the Black Caps, who have faced four consecutive defeats in the World Test Championship, virtually ending their hopes of reaching the final.

New Zealand's record in India has historically been difficult, with only two Test wins out of 36 matches played in the country. The last time they won in India was back in 1988 in Mumbai. The team's most recent tour in Sri Lanka also ended in disappointment, with a narrow loss in the first Test followed by a heavy defeat in the second Test, where they were bowled out for just 88 runs in the first innings.

Speaking ahead of the India series, Latham emphasized the importance of playing with freedom and confidence. 

"From my point of view it's about trying to continue doing the good stuff we've been doing, trying to put my spin on things. It's an exciting challenging going over to India and once we can go over there hopefully [we can] play with a bit of freedom, bit of no fear and try and take it to them. If we do that hopefully gives ourselves a good chance," Latham said.

Latham noted that teams that have succeeded in India have often taken a more aggressive approach, especially with the bat, and his team would need to be proactive. 

"Think in India we've seen teams that have done well out there in the past have been quite aggressive towards them, especially with the bat they've looked to play a few shots, but also put them under pressure which is really important over there rather than sitting and waiting for something to happen. We'll decide on how we want to play when we get over there, but guys have got plans around how they like to approach things and hopefully we can fine tune those," he further added.

Reflecting on their recent tour in Sri Lanka, Latham pointed out that despite the losses, there were positive aspects to their play. 

"We actually did some really good things in Sri Lanka. We fell on the wrong sides of the results but there were some good things. The approach we had with the bat, apart from that one innings I thought we played really well. So it's about continuing that as much as we can and trying to play a brand that we are proud of playing and if we do that hopefully it gives us a good chance," he stated.

This series marks Latham's first assignment as full-time Test captain, although he has led the side in nine previous matches as a stand-in for Kane Williamson. Now, he has the chance to leave a lasting mark on the team. 

"Will certainly be leaning on those experiences. Obviously a different situation being full-time where you can put your own spin on things but think what I want to do is encourage guys to be themselves, be leaders amongst themselves as well and hopefully if we can do that we can play the brand of cricket we want to play," he concluded.