Using the sweep shot to unsettle spinners in not a new tactic in cricket. It has been tried by a number of batsmen in the past, with various levels of success. However, sweeping quality spinners on Indian pitches is a task full of risks, which New Zealand's Tom Latham successfully accomplished during his match-winning century against India in the three-ODI series opener in Mumbai on Sunday. To begin with, he had kept wickets for three and half hours in hot and humid conditions. He was also demoted to No 5 position instead of his usual role as an opener.

NZ's Tom Latham practises the sweep shot yesterday. Pic/PTI