Latham to drop down the order

Cricket365
October 12, 2017

New Zealand batsman and part-time wicketkeeper Tom Latham looks set to drop down the order for the ODI series against India.

The Black Caps look intent on using hitter Colin Munro to accompany the equally aggressive if somewhat more conventional Martin Guptill up top.

Part of the reasoning with Latham dropping down the order is his ability against spin, which was displayed on his last visit to India.

Latham realizes that he needs to change his approach to the game in shifting down the order.

ALSO READ: McClenaghan chooses T20 leagues over country

He said: “I guess that is the beauty of batting in the middle order.

“You don’t necessarily know what situation you are going to come into. In India you have to be adaptable to the conditions as well, in terms of conditions and who is bowling.”

Latham has copped some stick for not setting the world alight with his strike-rate in recent times with coach Mike Hesson eager to try the explosive Munro to kick start the innings.

Hesson said: “It would be fair to say Martin (Guptill) and Tom, although they have had some really good performances individually, they haven’t really clicked at the top and certainly haven’t generated a strike-rate as a pair that we would like.”

The coach was tightlipped over whether Latham would retain the gloves while dropping into the middle-order.

Tom Blundell and Glenn Phillips are the keepers in the New Zealand A squad and have both been part of the Black Caps group recently.

Hesson would say: “Tom is certainly the most experienced of those keepers, the other three are still very much developing.

“We have got some good intel on the ground over there at the moment, a number of people are providing us some regular feedback and they will make some decisions in the coming days.”