Captain Tom Latham hopes to rebrand New Zealand's Test team during India tour

The New Zealand Test captain, Tom Latham, is excited to transition from "caretaker" to full-time leader, eager to put his "own spin on things" starting with the upcoming India tour.

In Short

• Tom Latham takes over as New Zealand's full-time Test captain
• The new captain is eager to stamp his mark on the Black Caps
• Latham to lead New Zealand in three-match Test series in India

New Zealand's newly-appointed Test captain, Tom Latham, is eager to stamp his mark on the Black Caps as he takes on full-time leadership for the first time. Latham, who steps into the role following Tim Southee's decision to step down last week, will lead the Kiwis on a challenging three-match Test series in India, starting October 16.

The 32-year-old Latham, no stranger to captaincy with nine previous matches as a stand-in leader, expressed excitement over the opportunity to transition from a caretaker to a permanent captain. This time, he looks forward to steering New Zealand's Test side with a more personalized approach.

"It's obviously a special feeling to be named full-time captain. It's massive honour and a huge privilege. I think in the past, it's always been a little bit of a caretaker role...But I guess, it's a different situation where I would be able to put a little bit of my own spin on things and what that looks like," the 32-year-old Latham said in a short video posted by New Zealand Cricket.

While Latham is still exploring how his leadership will shape the team, he emphasized the importance of maintaining the core values that have brought New Zealand success in the past. "I am not 100 per cent sure yet but hopefully we will see where it does look a little bit different. As a Test team, in the past, we have a done huge amount of good things. We have been successful playing a brand of cricket that is true to us as Kiwis," he added. "It's obviously a great group, a bunch of leaders, a bunch of older guys, and also some amazing talent coming through. So it's certainly an exciting time and yeah, it will be a great challenge."

The upcoming India tour is expected to be a tough test for Latham's leadership. New Zealand will face India in three Tests, starting at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, followed by matches in Pune and Mumbai. The Kiwis will be aiming to bounce back from their recent 0-2 series loss to Sri Lanka, which saw Southee step down from the captaincy.

Latham will lead a 15-man squad that includes Southee, veteran Ross Taylor, and promising talents such as uncapped batter Mark Chapman, who will act as cover for star batter Kane Williamson. Williamson is expected to miss the start of the series due to a groin strain, though there is optimism about his return later in the series.

Latham's leadership will be supported by head coach Gary Stead, along with batting coach Luke Ronchi, bowling coach Jacob Oram, and spin coach Rangana Herath. The team's preparation will focus on adapting to India's spin-friendly conditions, which have historically been challenging for overseas teams.

For Latham, this series offers a unique chance to solidify his captaincy credentials, rebrand the Test side, and take on one of the toughest challenges in world cricket. As he steps into the full-time role, fans will be eager to see how his leadership shapes the future of New Zealand's Test team.