Latham catch gives Black Caps some cheer
TOM Latham won’t forget that catch in a while.
The New Zealand opener took a brilliant catch at short-leg to halt a fast Indian start on the first morning of the third test in Indore yesterday.
Latham’s superb snare to get rid of Murali Vijay (10) from the bowling of off-spinner Jeetan Patel in the fifth over provided the impetus for the visitors to take a firm share of the honours into the lunch break.
The breakthrough afforded Black Caps seamers Trent Boult and Matt Henry the chance to find their rhythm during the second hour of play, Boult removing veteran opener Gautam Gambhir (39) to ensure India had not gained an advantage from winning yet another toss.
The hosts were 75-2 in 26 overs when the session came to an end, No 3 Cheteshwar Pujara (29) and captain Virat Kohli (7) the not out batsmen.
The match got off to a somewhat stuttering start.
Boult was granted a request for a ball change after just one delivery, while in the second over bowled by Henry’s there was a substantial break as the sightscreen at the Gail Pavilion End was attended two.
Neither delay put Gambhir off his stride, the re-called left-hander bringing the swelling Indore crowd to life in Henry’s next over with two consecutive hooks for six. REUTERS
With 26 on the board after just 24 balls, Williamson went straight to Patel to stem the flow and, with some considerable assistance from Latham, the veteran off- spinner needed only five balls to go one better.
Latham held a perfect position and showed lightning reactions to take a superb snare, Vijay making good contact with a flick to the legside and the Kiwi opener somehow parrying the ball off the inside of his arm before eventually clinging on against his chest.
The breakthrough allowed the visitors to begin returning the run-rate to a more normal test pace, Santner coming on immediately at the other end and the new ball pair returning at opposite ends a few overs later.
India went past drinks at 50-1 and upon the resumption Boult and Henry went about really putting the squeeze on Gambhir and Pujara, just four runs coming off the next six overs. GETTY IMAGES man who not so long ago was knocking on the door of the NBA.
Henare elected to start returning 35-year-old Kiwi hoops legend Kirk Penney at the twoguard spot, leaving Webster to resume the sixth-man role he probably thought he had left behind when he emerged into one of the leading offensive threats in this league.
This was certainly a massive decision by Henare, with most figuring he’d continue to start Webster and bring in Penney off his bench.
The jury might still be out on the efficacy of the switch (neither player exactly thrived in their roles), but there was no arguing with the final result as the Breakers stunned the stacked Melbourne outfit 76-71 to get their new season away to the ideal start.
Henare admitted that he’d been hoping to provoke a response from Webster.
‘‘I wanted him to be pissed off with not starting, but I wanted him to be pissed off in the right way. I thought when he was at the point he ran the team really well too and we continued to roll on. It’s one of those evolving things that will take time.
‘‘We’re obviously off to a good start and we can make improvements from here.’’