New Zealand’s Tom Latham is excited to make a transition from caretaker to full-time Test captain in the upcoming tour of India.

The southpaw took over the role from Tim Southee, who stepped down from the position after the team’s 2-0 defeat on the tour of Sri Lanka last month.

Latham, 32, has led the team in nine Tests so far, but the India tour will be his first assignment as a permanent captain.

The Kiwis on Wednesday (October 9) announced a 15-member squad, including Southee, for the three-match series against India, starting October 16 in Bengaluru.

"It's obviously a special feeling to be named full-time captain. It's a massive honor 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," Latham said in a video released by New Zealand Cricket.

"As a Test team, in the past, we have done a huge amount of good things. We have been successful playing a brand of cricket that is true to us as Kiwis," he added.

Latham also shared his two cents on the squad picked for the India tour, saying: "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."

Besides Bengaluru, Pune and Mumbai will host the Test matches between India and New Zealand. While the second Test will be played at the MCA Stadium from October 24-18, the iconic Wankhede Stadium will stage the series finale from November 1-5.