Sweep shot best to counter Indian spinners, says Latham

Pune, Oct 24 (IANS)   New Zealand batsman Tom Latham on Tuesday said to counter the Indian spinners, he finds the sweep shot easier than hitting them down the ground.

Latham, who scored an unbeaten century in New Zealand's comprehensive six-wicket win, said playing spin effectively will be the key in the three-match One-Day International (ODI) series against India.

"One thing that comes to me (naturally) is the sweep that I have played throughout my career. It's something that I find easier to play than hitting down the ground," Latham told reporters here. 

"The other guys may find hitting down the ground easier. It's important to have different game plans for different conditions and try and stick to that," he added.

Latham and Ross Taylor (95) contributed a 200-run stand for the fourth wicket to outplay India in the first match. Latham smashed the opposition bowlers all over the park to notch up eight boundaries and two sixes in his 102-ball innings.

The middle-order batsman also revealed the preparation he did back home to tackle the spinners.

"I put little bit of work in terms of coming over here and playing spin. On surfaces back home they were a little bit drier and quite responsive to spin. So, that was (a part) of the preparation," he said.