New Zealand captain Tom Latham believes injuries to his side may have helped them in the long run as more players gained Test experience in their 2-0 series win over West Indies.

After the tourists managed to hold the Black Caps to a draw in the opener, the Black Caps won the second and third Tests, rounding off the series with a 323-run victory in Mount Maunganui.

Both Latham and Conway scored centuries across both innings before Jacob Duffy’s five-wicket haul helped seal victory on day five.

The Black Caps were hit hard by injuries during the series, with Matt Henry, Mitchell Santner and Nathan Smith among the names to be sidelined over the course of the three matches.

Although that made things harder for Latham and the selectors, he was glad to see new players gain more experience in the longest format.

Lathan said: “I think any time you face adversity through injuries, you look at the personnel we have got and guys making debuts, guys playing their first games at home and different guys, you see it's a collective effort and not just a few guys.

The tale of the tape after 5 days in Bay Oval #NZvWIN pic.twitter.com/JuW2WXhRjL

— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) December 22, 2025

“Obviously really pleasing. The more experience we can build into different guys it's good news for New Zealand cricket.

“Obviously it's a good marker for how we want to operate. This surface was different from what we usually play on so to be able to adapt is good.”

Duffy’s five wickets on the final day took his series total to 23, seeing him surpass Trent Boult’s record for the most by a New Zealand bowler in a single series (20 in 2013, also against West Indies).

Duffy has also taken 81 wickets across 2025, overtaking the record previously held by Sir Richard Hadlee in 1985 (79) for most scalps by a Black Caps bowler in a calendar year.

“To be up there, it's pretty special. It's been a cool year, been good fun,” said Duffy on going past Hadlee.

“You can't say no to the skipper. He keeps asking me to bowl and you can't say no. It's also a privilege that he trusts me.

“I think when you bowl so many overs you get them eventually. It's just about playing simple cricket. Good quality time off now, looking forward to not bowling for a while.”