Right after scoring a career-best 145* (104) with the help of 19 fours and five sixes at a strike rate of 139.42 (personal best during a century), New Zealand wicket-keeper batter Tom Latham was humble enough to bring “luck” into the picture saying twice that it was “just one of those days” for him where everything was executed to perfection.
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Coming in to bat at No. 5 in the 20th over, Latham faced a steep task of scoring 219 runs in the remaining 30.1 overs. The 30-year old player’s seventh ODI century ensured a 7-wicket victory for his team with 17 balls remaining in the match.
Aggressor in a 221-run fourth-wicket partnership, Latham hitting boundaries for fun at the Eden Park didn’t allow captain Kane Williamson to complete a century as he returned unbeaten on 94* (98).
Other than making shot-making look fairly effortless, Williamson and Latham’s mind-blowing partnership also ensured a second-highest ODI run-chase at this venue. Furthermore, it has also become the sixth-highest ODI run-chase for New Zealand, ninth-highest in New Zealand and 11th highest against India.
Tom Latham admits facing trouble against Washington Sundar
Batting at 77* (70), Latham scored as many as 23 runs in a 25-run 40th over bowled by India pacer Shardul Thakur. In addition to reaching the three-figure mark within 76 balls, Latham also managed to reduce the deficit to a large extent inside six balls. India captain Shikhar Dhawan also admitted the same to be a game-changing over in the context of the match.
A brutally honest Latham also opined that he faced trouble against India all-rounder Washington Sundar. With the off-spinner turning the ball away from him, Latham still managed to score 17 (21) including a couple of fours in spite of finding him “hard” to play tonight.
4.3 – Tom Latham (@BLACKCAPS) hit a boundary once every 4.3 balls in an innings of 145 today; since 2007, only two New Zealand players to score a century in men’s ODIs have logged a more frequent rate (C Anderson – 2.4 v WI, 1 Jan 2014 & J Ryder – 3 v WI, 1 Jan 2014). Attack. pic.twitter.com/WM01DSqY9N
— OptaJason (@OptaJason) November 25, 2022
“The preparation has been ideal. It’s been nice and was able to hit the ball right today. [Washington] Sundar was getting some turn. Found him quite hard to play. It’s a small ground and we could capitalize at the end,” Latham told Spark Sport during the post-match presentation ceremony.
