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Ross Taylor scored 38 and 9 against the West Indies in the Black Caps’ Test Series 2-0 victory.
Leaving Ross Taylor from the Black Caps’ Twenty20 team was one of Gary Stead’s toughest decisions, but the coach isn’t concerned about the older man’s recent test form.
The first cricketer to play 100 games in all three international formats, Taylor said goodbye to his teammates on Tuesday after celebrations for his 2-0 series sweep over the West Indies, which extended the home’s undefeated streak. New Zealand to a record 15 tests.
The 36-year-old’s name was missing from the group of 18 chosen for three T20s against Pakistan from Auckland on Friday night, and he will join them for the first test in Tauranga starting on Boxing Day.
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Taylor has amassed 7,285 races from 103 events with a world-class average of 45.81, and his 19 centuries are second only to Kane Williamson on the New Zealand list.
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But since scoring 80 against Australia in Perth a year ago, Taylor averaged 20.33 in his last 10 test innings with a high score of 44. He contributed 38 and nine to the Black Caps innings in Hamilton and Wellington, after average 25 in five Plunket. Shield hits for Central Stags.
When asked about Taylor’s form on Tuesday, Stead said: “I’m not worried about his race production at the test level. Ross has been one of New Zealand’s greats for a long period of time and form can sometimes come and go a bit.
Hagen Hopkins / Getty Images
The West Indies celebrate the dismissal of Ross Taylor on the first day of the second test in Wellington.
“He’s classy and we know it, and I’m sure he’s just one entrance away from everyone going with someone else they want to talk about.
“I have absolute faith in Ross. The T20 selection was a very, very difficult selection, probably one of the hardest we’ve had to make. He’s been a consistent performer, but we just couldn’t find a place on the team with what we’ve seen in Devon. [Conway] and Glenn Phillips too. “
Stead broke the news to Taylor that he was out of the T20 side, following Conway and Phillips’ dynamic slam against the West Indies. Selector Gavin Larsen also suggested that Taylor’s mobility on the field was a factor.
Taylor has been offered, and accepted, the opportunity to prove Stead and Larsen wrong and fight for his 102-match international T20 career, with the T20 World Cup scheduled for India next October.
It means impressing for the Stags at the T20 Super Smash, after Test 2 against Pakistan in Christchurch on January 3-7, when all the Black Caps will return to their national teams.
Kai Schwoerer / Getty Images
Taken from the Black Caps Twenty20 side, Ross Taylor has been asked to prove the selectors wrong on the T20 Super Smash.
“Naturally, he was disappointed and would expect that from everyone … he’s disappointed by the decision and promised to show that he’s good enough to continue playing at that level again,” Stead said.
Stead welcomed the return of Henry Nicholls to form, the No. 5 hitter named man of the match in Wellington after compiling a career-high 174 in New Zealand’s only innings of 460.
Nicholls had posted numbers similar to Taylor, since his previous test century in March 2019. Out of 13 test innings before Wellington, Nicholls averaged 20.33 with a high score of 42.
The southpaw got some vital pardons from the West Indies outfielders, and he used his luck with the edges flying over the cordon, but he pounced to hit for a tick for seven hours.
“Every time you play for your country there is that element of wanting to do well and Henry is no different than any other player on the team. Because there seems to be more depth with the hitting, then it’s natural for people to look around a little bit more, ”Stead said.
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Black Caps No. 5 Henry Nicholls receives a standing ovation from the Saturday Basin Reserve crowd after scoring 174 against the West Indies.
“We have faith in all of our players and we make sure they know it too. We never select or deselect in a match or series. We tend to show a little more faith and Henry returned that faith. “
There’s also the mantra to ‘never change a winning lineup’. It means backup hitter Will Young and upcoming Conway face long waits for their chances in Test XI outside of injury, illness or the arrival of an impending baby like Kane Williamson’s. Tom Blundell (14-14 vs. West Indies) was an impromptu starter, but his Melbourne century also booked him an extended stay, and Stead gave him strong backing in the lead up to this season.
Wellington’s Rachin Ravindra, 21, was the last to add his name to the growing list of batting contenders when he scored 144 not out for NZA against West Indies A in Nelson, then took 6-89 with his arm twist. left.
“He’s an exciting player, he’s probably still at a first-class level … He has a lot of skills that we like and that’s why he’s in our A program, and we want to see him keep doing well and pushing. for future Black Caps selection, ”Stead said.
