Santner Leads NZ as Latham Misses Zimbabwe Test

New Zealand is playing Zimbabwe in a two-match Test series, with regular Test captain Tom Latham ruled out of the opening match after sustaining a shoulder injury while fielding in a T20 match for Birmingham earlier this month. Mitchell Santner, the white-ball captain, has taken over as New Zealand's 32nd Test captain for the first time in his career. Latham remains with the squad, hoping to recover for the second Test starting August 7. Head coach Rob Walter expressed disappointment at Latham's absence but is confident in Santner, who recently led New Zealand to an undefeated T20I Tri-Series win in Harare. By Day 3, New Zealand is in a dominant position, having dismantled Zimbabwe's top order and pushing them toward an innings defeat. This series marks the first Test encounter between Zimbabwe and New Zealand since 2016 and is not part of the World Test Championship.