#4 Tom Latham
Though the ODI series was keenly contested, it was the bowlers who won matches for the Kiwis while their batting continued to be plagued by the issues that hurt them in the Test series, with the exception of opener Tom Latham.
The left-handed batsman came into the ODI series with the reputation of having scored a 50 in every single Test on the tour, starting from the tour match against Mumbai.He carried this form into the ODI series, finishing behind Kohli as the 2nd highest run-getter, with an aggregate of 244 runs at an average of 61 and strike rate of 89.37 – appreciable, because he is not a naturally aggressive batsman and his runs came off pure cricketing shots.
During the course of his 79* in the first ODI, he became the first Kiwi and only the 10th overall to carry his bat through the innings. Despite the repeated failures of Guptill at the other end, Latham continued to give good starts to the team in every match.
The 24-year-old’s consistent performances at the top of the order will be the biggest plus the Kiwis take away from their disappointing tour.
