India vs New Zealand: Tom Latham supports Virat Kohli on DRS issue

Kolkata: New Zealand opener Tom Latham on Thursday backed India captain Virat Kohli on using the Decision Review System (DRS) in the future, saying it would have benefited both teams had it been used in the ongoing series.

"We have had it in the past back home. It`s a good system. When a major decision is caught incorrectly, then it helps. It`s a thing we enjoy back home and would have been great had it been there," the 24-year-old told reporters at a media meet at the Eden Gardens on Thursday, a day ahead of the beginning of the second Test. (ALSO READ: ICC brings in points system in Code of Conduct and revamps DRS too)

Veering away from the stance taken by the team management and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) earlier, Kohli today backed the DRS and said the team would look forward to its introduction in future.

"We will certainly look to probably introduce it [DRS] in future," Kohli said on the eve of the second Test against New Zealand at the Eden Gardens here.

The BCCI has been the only board in the cricketing world opposed to the DRS, arguing that it is not "foolproof". Kohli`s predecessor as Test captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who now leads the team in limited overs formats, also has consistently opposed the DRS, which is now used in all Test matches not featuring India and ICC tournaments. (ALSO READ: BCCI no fan of Hawk-eye, but open to using DRS without the tracking software)

Kohli divulged there have been "meetings and discussions" about it and the DRS is something they "definitely want to think about".

"Those are the things I can`t say yes or no to sitting here," Kohli told the media. (ALSO READ: DRS likely to be used during IPL 9)

"But these are the things we have discussed. These are things we have had meetings on. Because there were some areas that we felt can be debated. Especially the ball-tracking and HawkEye. But, all in all, obviously when you feel that -- I personally feel -- these things can be discussed and debated on," said Kohli.

BCCI President Anurag Thakur said last month that India was ready to accept the DRS, but minus the HawkEye.

In the past, India have often been victims of umpiring decisions which could have been easily rectified had the DRS been used in those games.

Latham, who scored a fifty in the first innings of the Kanpur Test, which his team lost by 197 runs, said they are trying hard to cope with the spin threat of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.

"These are world class bowlers. They bowl a lot of overs in these conditions. And if we can take good decisions for a longer period of time while batting, hopefully we would be able to put up a good score on the board and if we are batting second can chase down a total," he said.

Latham praised Ashwin profusely, the stand out performer at Kanpur, and India`s principal wicket-taker.

"He is a world class bowler. He has shown that in the last game. He has subtle natural variations with which hopefully we can cope better. We are trying to rectify our mistakes. For me personally, the straighter one troubles me the most. Hopefully I will be able to mend my problems in this game."

Kiwis` skipper and their best batsman Kane Williamson did not practice with the team on Thursday. Latham though said there is nothing to worry about that.

"It`s nothing really. He is resting. He will be back on the field for the game."

Opener Martin Guptill`s lean patch with the bat has been another concern for the visitors.

"He hasn`t scored the amount of runs he wanted to. We all are working extremely hard in the nets and trying to rectify that for him and he himself is doing a lot," he said.

"He got a reasonably good start in the first innings of the last match. We all are worried. Let`s hope he can do that (bat) for a longer period of time."

On the preparations ahead of the second Test, Latham said fatigue is a detrimental factor for the visitors, with most of the players not used to such sultry conditions.

"It is easier when you start. But as you go along it gets difficult as you tend to get dehydrated. The support staff has been brilliant for us running around with water. We need to bat for longer sessions in order to adjust."