Published: Nov 16, 2015, 11:57 AM (IST)
Edited: Nov 22, 2015, 03:36 PM (IST)
Ross Taylor fought bad form and hostile bowling to score a double hundred against Australia on Day Three of the second Test at Western Australian Cricket Association (WACA) Ground in Perth. In doing so, Taylor became the first New Zealander to score a Test double and the first foreign batsman to score a Test double hundred at the WACA. Yet, through the entire course of the knock, Taylor never once settled into a rhythmic constancy. His innings kept fluctuating from classy to scratchy to aggressive in undistinguished patterns. Rishad D’Souza feels the knock was reflective of Taylor’s career on the whole. LIVE SCORECARD: Australia vs New Zealand 2015, 2nd Test at Perth
In terms of numbers it has been well established that Ross Taylor is one of the greatest New Zealand batsmen. Still aged just 31, he is already the holder of the most international centuries for New Zealand across formats and with 13 Test hundreds is only behind the great Martin Crowe in terms of triple figure innings. Yet, in a general conversation devoid of statistics as a parameter it is unlikely that Taylor will be earning greater mention than Kane Williamson or Brendon McCullum.
It goes without saying that both Williamson and skipper McCullum are greats in their own rights and are worthy of all the praise that comes their ways, but equally it can be said about Taylor that he has been a stalwart for New Zealand. With his type of numbers should spark just as many passionate cricket discussions as the other two, if not more. Yet, that is not quite the case with Taylor. The reason for this is steeped in the fact that Taylor is not a distinguished persona. LIVE CRICKET UPDATES, Australia vs New Zealand, 2nd Test at Perth, Day 3
Williamson may like to avoid media attention and prefers working in the background yet when he takes centre stage with the willow he becomes absolutely unavoidable. The pure text-book technique in a perfect blend with effective elegance immediately catches the eye. He is a treat for the purists.
The factors that propel McCullum to the limelight of the conscious mind are vastly different but equally intense. His living-on-the-edge style of batting and blatant daring to treat the world’s most lethal bowlers with disdain is eye-catching and instantly gratifying. McCullum appeals to a different audience but makes the same impact.
Yet, Taylor — whose numbers speak of his sustained quality — fails to inspire similar passion. The reason for this is that Taylor doesn’t have a distinguished persona with the bat. Taylor’s knocks, even when in good form, often lack the visual fluency that other greats achieve.
Even in his record-mauling knock against Australia, there were numerous periods when he looked uncertain and scratchy despite spending long time at the crease and amassing big runs. Undeniably, there were certain shots that reflected the class he possesses but nothing in his innings was a recurring theme. It was a mish-mash of various phases compiled at random into one big knock. Such has been the story of Taylor’s Test career in its entirety. He has compiled runs without carving a niche for himself to make him endearing to a particular segment of audience.
Nevertheless, cricket is ultimately a game of numbers and greatness will always come down to statistics at some point. With an average hovering in the late 40s in Tests and early 40s in One-Day Internationals (ODIs) it is clear that Taylor is an outstanding force. He may not have a style of his own, Taylor remains undistinguished but when numbers are summoned the greatness of Taylor will always be unquestionable.
(Rishad D’Souza, a reporter with CricketCountry, gave up hopes of playing Test cricket after a poor gully-cricket career. He now reports on the sport. You can follow @RDcric on Twitter)
