Ross Taylor - one of the finest batsman by in the New Zealand line-up
Ross Taylor, a key batsman for New Zealand, is known for his aggressive batting style. The right-handed batsman accepts the challenges bravely and has the ability to handle tough situation smartly. Taylor can hit the ball anywhere in the oval but he prefers to play aggressive shots on off-side when given the width. His ability to play cut shots and cover drives is a delight to watch. Taylor has played for several major teams in his career so far. His previous squads include Central Districts Under-19s, New Zealand Under-19s, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Victoria.
Taylor has captained the Black Caps Under-19 team in the youth internationals. During the State Shield domestic One-Day competition in 2003-04 he scored his highest first-class haul of 132 runs. The player took an attractive start in the domestic 2005-06 session, with three centuries which guided him to the limited overs game. Taylor scored 217 runs in the State Championship of the 2007-08 session.
The 26-year-old batsman made his One Day International (ODI) debut against the West Indies at Napier on 1 March 2006. He captained for the first time for New Zealand in an ODI against Australia at Napier on 3 March 2010 after Daniel Vettori was rested owing to a neck injury. He played an excellent game by scoring a team topping 70 runs, leading his side to a two wicket victory. He was awarded man-of-the-match for his good show in the game. Taylor scored his first ODI century by scoring 128 runs off 133 balls including 12 fours and six sixes against Sri Lanka on 28 December 2006.
He made his second century against Australia on 18 February 2007 scoring a 117 at Eden Park which was the second highest score of any Black Caps’ player against Australia. Taylor has featured in 100 ODIs and has scored 2731 runs at an average of 35.01 including three centuries and 19 fifties. He played his last ODI against Kenya at Chennai on 20 February 2011.
He made his Test debut against South Africa in Johannesburg in November 2007. Taylor has featured in 30 Tests scoring 2221 at an average of 41.12 including five centuries and 12 half centuries. He built his highest Test score of 154 against England at Old Trafford in May 2008. The innings included five sixes and 17 fours. He made his maiden Test century in March 2008 at Hamilton in the first Test against England during 2007-08 and maintained his leading batting style throughout the series.
In home ODIs Taylor averages over 45 at a strike rate of 86.35 and outside the New Zealand his average is 29.88 at a strike rate of 77. Taylor remained unable to give a remarkable performance in the ICC World Cup 2007, playing only one significant innings of 85 runs against Kenya and he ended up with a total of 107 runs at 17.38 out of six matches.
Taylor made his Twenty20 debut against Sri Lanka at Wellington on 22 December 2006. In his 34 Twenty20 innings he scored 659 runs at an average of 21.96 including three fifties.
Apart from domestic cricket, Taylor also plays for the Royal Challengers in the Indian Premier League (IPL). His highlight was a splendid 81 runs off 33 balls for Bangalore, leading them to a victory against Kolkata in 2009.
ICC World Cup 2011, the second mega event of Taylor’s cricketing career, will come with more challenges for the player. He will be taking up full-time captaincy of the Kiwis after the tournament.
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