Ross Taylor’s cricketing journey has alternated between sunshine and shadows. It has tested his resolve, forced him to dig deeper. This 29-year-old Wellington-born cricketer of Maori descent is better for the ordeal.
His last three Test matches, at home against the West Indies, have produced scores of 217 not out, 129 and 131.
And his two hundreds in the recent ODI series against India have once again underlined his form and state of mind.
Taylor could miss the second Test since his wife is expected to deliver their second child during the period but was looking forward to the first Test.
He said here on Tuesday, “When you score a couple of hundreds in the one-dayers, it is nice.
But Tests and the red ball, and looking at the wicket here it looks like it might do a little bit, so totally different conditions to the one-day format.”
Taylor was pleased with his awesome form.
“I am hitting the ball very well and I think I am in the best mindset that I have ever been in my career. I don’t want to get too carried away. I just want to go with the same routine and hopefully I can have some more success.”
On his mindset, Taylor revealed he had been working with a couple of psychologists. “It’s about getting myself in the most relaxed frame of mind as possible. Controlling what you can control. And Kiwi great Martin Crowe has been his mentor. “For me, Martin (Crowe) has been outstanding. He’s been a world-class player in his own right and it’s nice to get him to look at your technique.
“He has gone through lots of ups and downs in his career and it’s nice for him to pass that knowledge on to me, on how to deal with different situations.”
Asked about the Indian bowling for the Tests, Taylor responded, “I think (Umesh) Yadav and Zaheer Khan coming in will add a different dimension to the team. There is a lot of experience in Zaheer, he is a world-class bowler. I am sure India will prove a point after a disappointing one-day series. They are still a very good side in my eyes.”
