The Kiwis' state of ‘free-fall’ in cricket and Taylor’s resilience - Part 2 - Opinion
Continued from Part 1...
In light of his Pallekele heroics, it is safe to say that Taylor has the ability to silence critics of New Zealand cricket wihttp://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757 and rash stroke-play from their batsmen helped the Kiwis gain a romantic semi-final berth. If one is to subtract Taylor’s contribution, then New Zealand could have been denied their due place in the semis.
Those times hinted at renaissance for New Zealand, but things have gotten desperate after that tournament. The present Kiwi side consists of a young team with heaps of responsibility. They have disappointed more often than not in all formats of the game. The fact that Taylor takes these dark realities head on as a captain is a commendable effort to say the least. He has handled harsh criticism quite well, and never really gets flustered, unlike some of his predecessors. His calmness was reflected in his side’s recent degradation at the hands of the West Indies in the Caribbean, where New Zealand lost 4-1 in the tropical sunshine. Injury woes, poor performances with the bat by some of the main players and a lack of intensity with the ball were and are problems which New Zealand is grappling with, and it is fair to believe that it would take a calm, unifying force to revive New Zealand cricket from the dumps.
Ross Taylor could well be that calming influence that New Zealand needs to revive its fortunes. His contributions certainly act in favour of that predilection. For example, his magnificent century against the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Taylor-c92915’s efforts can be considered commendable, giving a strange sense of belief to a side which had been struggling with a plethora of problems both on and off the field.
New Zealand’s struggles however, have not been limited to the ODI arena only, as their Test ranking and performances have been equally disappointing. Yet what is remarkable about a player such as http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-Zealand-c754 to 328 for six on the first day of the Second Test, after a disastrous loss in the first game.
The fact that Taylor continues to contribute as he so often does, could uplift a Kiwi side that had looked ragged and dilapidated since the 2010 series against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Bangladesh-c747. New Zealand fans would be hoping that his influential batting acts as a catalyst for his contemporaries to raise their game in future encounters. It really is a matter of national pride.
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