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Kiwi Taylor shows glimpses of yore after record, seamless innings

November 16, 2015 11:54 IST

Ross Taylor of New Zealand plays a short down the ground enroute his record 290 runs on Monday

IMAGE: New Zealand's Ross Taylor plays a short down the ground enroute his record 290 runs on Monday. Photograph: Paul Kane/Getty Images

Ross Taylor became the third highest scorer for New Zealand when he was dismissed for 290 on Day 4 of the 2nd Test at WACA in Perth on Monday.

New Zealand were dismissed for 624 in their first innings before lunch on the fourth day when Taylor was dismissed on 290.

Taylor's knock was the highest by any visiting batsman in Australia, bettering the record of 287 set by England's Tip Foster on debut in Sydney in 1903.

His mammoth innings helped New Zealand to a 65-run first innings lead over the hosts, who scored 559-9 declared in their first innings.

The 31-year-old right-hander faced 374 balls and hit 43 fours in his knock before he was caught by substitute fielder Jonny Wells at deep square leg off the bowling of Nathan Lyon.

Ross Taylor of New Zealand acknowledges the crowd aas he walks of the ground

IMAGE: New Zealand's Ross Taylor acknowledges the crowd as he walks off the ground. Photograph: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

Taylor laid the foundation for a brilliant knock on Sunday, scoring the first double century by a New Zealander against their trans-TasmanSea rivals.

Making 235 on day 3, he batted assiduously and courageously through 308 balls, peppering the boundaries with 34 fours.

Taylor stitched a record stand of 265 between with Kane Williamson to put the visitors back in the Test.

Taylor's superb innings marks a brilliant return to form for a batsman who had looked a shadow of his once imposing self in the opening Test in Brisbane.

Known for his aggressive batting, mixed with flair, the last few years haven’t been the best for the batsman.

The 31-year-old was forced to pull out of New Zealand's South African tour earlier this year to undergo surgery for a nasty groin injury he suffered in the nets.

His previous eight innings this year had netted just one half century but he blew away any concerns about his future in a torrent of runs on Sunday.

"He's batting fantastically, hopefully he can come out and continue tomorrow," Williamson added.

"What an outstanding knock from Rosco, it was certainly one of his better ones."

New Zealand's Ross Taylor plays a sweep shot

IMAGE: New Zealand's Ross Taylor plays a sweep shot. Photograph: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

New Zealand's batting coach Craig McMillan waxed eloquent about Taylor’s innings

"I think it was an immense innings and it had been brewing for some time," McMillan said.

"He'd been a little bit short of time in the middle and runs, but what do they say? Form's temporary and class is permanent. That got shown today. His concentration in the first two or three overs of the day really set the tone for the way he was going to bat.

"His tempo was superb, hitting straight down the ground was something he's worked really hard on in recent times just to open up that area that probably hasn't always been a strength of his, but some of those straight cover drives were some of the best you'll see from any player in the world.

"You'd have to rank it right up there as one of New Zealand's best Test knocks, with the conditions, with the match situation, you throw all that into the mix and it's one of the best. There's still a lot more batting to be done. He can go as long as the concentration stays strong. We want more partnerships from that lower order, guys to hang in with him, bat as long as possible and see what happens from there."

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