Published: Jan 21, 2019, 10:56 AM (IST)
Edited: Jan 21, 2019, 10:56 AM (IST)
At the start of any India series Virat Kohli invariably is the most talked about player in the build up, but New Zealand’s experienced campaigner Ross Taylor is equally vary of India’s openers as well. (ALSO READ: Let Pandya, Rahul play while inquiry is on: CK Khanna urges CoA)
“He’s (Kohli) a sensational player, the best one-day player going around, easily. It’s easy to get caught up in him,” Taylor told stuff.co.nz. “You’ve got two pretty good openers at the top, Rohit (Sharma) and Shikhar (Dhawan), before he gets in.” (ALSO READ: We want our guys to make it tough for the selectors during World Cup time: New Zealand coach Gary Stead)
And there is enough merit to the comments made by Taylor. Since 2018, while Kohli leads the run charts with in ODIs with 1355 runs at 112.91, Rohit Sharma is the second highest run-scorer during that period with 1215 runs at 71.47. Shikhar Dhawan is also not far behind and is at fourth place 952 runs at an average of 45.33. (ALSO READ: Mitchell Santner, Tom Latham, Colin de Grandhomme return for ODI series against India)
Taylor himself has had a stellar year averaging 92.00 – bettered only by Kohli during that period – in 14 matches.
On the back of a stellar ODI series against Sri Lanka, where Taylor notched up scores of 54. 90 and 137, the 34-year-old knows that he will have to start over again against the World No.2 side.
“I’ve played a few internationals now and understand my role in the team. I’ve worked on my game and try and rotate the strike early and be as busy as I can. Different shots against spinners at different stages have maybe evolved my game in a positive way,” said Taylor, who became the first New Zealand cricketer to score 20 centuries in ODI in the recently concluded ODI series against SL.
During the T20I series against Sri Lanka, Taylor had a injury scare at Auckland, dislocating his little finger in places, but it was popped back to place and no fracture was detected. He will most likely take the field in the series opener at Napier against India.
“It’s fine. It looks a lot sorer than it is… no break but the ligaments were a bit sore,” said Taylor.
