Hamilton: As Ross Taylor braces to become the first cricketer to play 100 games in all formats of the game, the right-handed New Zealand batsman on Friday said that he did not expect to play another match in the longest format after his first series against South Africa. Taylor will be playing his 100th Test against India at Wellington, slated to begin from February 21.
“After my first Test series against South Africa, I did not think I would play ever a match in the longest format, probably lucky with the timing. I hope over time there will be a lot of players who represent their side in 100 matches in all formats,” Taylor told reporters. “When I played against England and got a 100 in the first Test. That was the first time when I believed that I belong in the longest format. To get those milestones early on made me believe that I was good enough,” he said
Asked about his favourite knocks in the Test format, Taylor mentioned four of his best innings, which also included his 290-run knock against Australia.
“One of my best hundreds was in Manchester. I scored 158, we ended up losing the match against England. Then there would be knocks of 140 and 170 against Sri Lanka in Colombo. The last would be the 290-run knock against Australia at Perth. The match ended as a draw,” Taylor said.
The 35-year-old made his Test debut in 2007 against South Africa and managed to score just 44 runs in the two-match series. However, the batsman now has 7,174 runs in the longest format and as a result, Taylor went on to say that he is content with what all he has achieved in his career.
“I am happy with what I have achieved so far in my career. Wellington holds a special place in my heart. Having the support of my family is special. My wife has raised the three kids on her own. The kids understand what their dad does. They have definitely helped in balancing cricket. In the end, your family is there regardless of how many runs you have scored,” Taylor said.
“I think I am doing something that I have always wanted to do, I have always wanted to play for New Zealand. My family has sacrificed more than I have. My kids have been able to travel to some excellent places. My daughter wants to travel to India,” he added.
