Taylor celebrates in trademark style upon bringing up his 16th Test century
Image courtesy of: Zimbio
New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor showed no signs of being troubled by his vision problems as he scored a sensational century to leave Pakistan needing 369 to win on the penultimate day in Hamilton.
Taylor came into the match having been diagnosed with a pterygium – a growth on the clear tissue that lines your eyelids and covers your eyeball – and will require surgery after the series.
Starting off the day on 0/0, New Zealand lost opener Jeet Raval early on as he was trapped lbw off the bowling of Mohammad Amir for two runs.
Raval’s opening partner Tom Latham and captain Kane Williamson steadied the innings with a 96-run partnership, during which Latham surpassed his fifty, before Williamson was caught behind off the bowling of Imran Khan for 42.
Latham and Taylor kept the runs flowing with a 52-run stand before Latham’s time at the crease came to an end when he was caught behind off the bowling of Wahab Riaz for 80, which came off 150 balls and included 12 boundaries.
Latham made his 11th Test fifty
Image courtesy of: Zimbio
New Zealand’s dominance with the bat continued as Taylor and Henry Nicholls put together a 60-run partnership, during which Taylor registered his half-century, before Nicholls was caught behind off the bowling of Imran for 26.
Colin de Grandhomme made a quickfire 32 before he became Imran’s third victim, but Taylor kept on taking the attack to Pakistan as he and wicketkeeper BJ Watling accumulated an unbeaten 59-run stand before Williamson decided to declare with his side on 313/5, which set Pakistan a target of 369 to win.
No team has chased down more than 345 to win a Test match in New Zealand. This feat was accomplished by the West Indies in Auckland in March 1969.
Taylor finished on 102 off 134 balls, which included 16 boundaries, while Watling remained undefeated on 15 off 40 deliveries, which included two boundaries.
Prior to this knock, Taylor had gone 11 consecutive innings in Tests without a 50-plus score. As for Test matches on home soil, Taylor had not scored 50 or more in 12 innings, which stretched back to the start of 2014.
It was also Taylor’s fourth Test hundred at Seddon Park, which is the second-most triple-figure scores by a New Zealand batsman at a single venue. The legendary Martin Crowe sits at the summit of the list as he made five centuries in Wellington.
Imran was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets, while Amir and Riaz chipped in with one wicket apiece.
Chasing 369 to win, Pakistan got off to a very cautious start as they made just one run from the three overs they faced before stumps was called.
Sami Aslam finished on one run, while stand-in captain Azhar Ali has yet to get off the mark.
Pakistan ended day four on 1/0 and will continue batting on Tuesday at 10:30 local time or 21:30 GMT (the previous day).