Tom Latham and New Zealand are intent on finding positives and take them forward to the series-deciding encounter, despite an innings and a 16-run loss at Dubai in the second Test of the three-match tussle.
In response to hosts' score of 418/5d, New Zealand got bamboozled by the class of Yasir Shah as the leg-spinner simply ran through the Kiwis batting line up and inflicted a major collapse for just 90 in the first innings and came back to finish off the job for the Sarfraz Ahmed led side on Day 4.
Despite improved performances from Latham(50), Ross Taylor(82) and Henry Nicholls(77) helping them reach 312, the visitors succumbed to a series-levelling defeat.
"Even though we didn't win the Test, we got to take positives out of that," Latham was quoted saying by ICC ahead of the third Test at Abu Dhabi starting Monday, December 3, "We did tick over 300 on that surface and that was really important. If we can take that into the last Test, possibly batting last and getting 300-plus, we will give ourselves a good chance."
"We have great memories from a couple of weeks ago when we won a great game. Even though in that Test match we didn't play our best cricket, we managed to get across the line and that's really important," the left-hand batsman recalled the 4-run victory at the same ground in the first game.
"We are always striving for the perfect match, but if we can put pieces of the puzzle together in each department, we can hopefully give ourselves a chance of winning that series."
On plans to counter the alarming threat of Yasir Shah, Latham felt, "(We have to) come up with a plan on how to play Yasir Shah and Hasan Ali. They have probably been the two from the bowling point of view, and from our bowling point of view, how to get these guys out in a few days."
"These are very good conditions and they put a hard price on their wicket. Hopefully, we can formulate those plans and stick to them for long periods of time, and hopefully, the guys can bat long periods to put numbers on the board," he signed off.
