Ross Taylor was happy to be in the runs again but admonished himself for failing to push on to triple figures on the opening day of the second cricket test between New Zealand and Pakistan at the Basin Reserve today Taylor, 26, had passed 30 just once in his previous eight test innings but he dug in for 78 today before flashing.
At a wide ball from Wahab Riaz, the first delivery of a new spell, to hand wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal his fifth catch. It was a determined innings mixed with the odd show of positive intent but, after being at the crease for a tick over four hours and facing 168 balls, the vice-captain was disappointed that his hard work was undone by a loose shot.
Still, his 11th test half century represented a nice return to form and his highest score since 138 against Australia at Hamilton last March. Taylor said he had concentrated on playing as straight as possible. "I guess when you're searching for form you look for other things and forget about the basics," he said after New Zealand reached 246 for six at stumps. I went out there and tried to play as aggressively as possible without being reckless. I was 10 or 15 pretty quickly, probably off a run a ball, and settled into my innings from there.
"When you play straight, more often than not you give yourself the best possible chance. I haven't felt out of nick, I just haven't scored the runs and today I should have scored and got three figures but I didn't do that." He said the "odd ball" had moved today but the wicket was still good for batting. "I guess whatever total we end up with, we've got to decide where we've got bowl - I think it's that touch fuller - and almost do what they did to us. I wouldn't say it was negative but it was trying to bore you out."
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