Ross Taylor: “I’m pretty confident I’ll be playing the Test”

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New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor will play in the first Test against England on Thursday after captain Kane Williamson confirmed that he would be part of the playing XI.

Taylor has been recovering from a thigh injury, which he sustained during the fourth ODI against England, where he scored a career-best 181 not out.

Since there were doubts about whether he would be healthy enough to participate in the first Test, Martin Guptill was called up as a potential replacement.

However, Williamson reiterated that Taylor will feature in the day-night Test in Auckland.

“He’s good to go so that’s great news for us,” Williamson was quoted as saying by Sport24. “Roscoe has played beautifully every time he’s walked out to the crease, the calmness at the crease, the confidence.

“It’s reflected in how much success he’s had this year. It’s important for us as a team that he’s there.”

Even though he had also been suffering from an illness over the past few days, Taylor earlier pointed out that his chances of playing in the first Test were high.

“I’m feeling really good at the moment. I’ve actually been crook. Got the kindy bugs from the kids and I haven’t been able to run and yesterday was the first day,” he told Radio Sport as quoted by stuff.co.nz. “It’s going really well and I’m pretty confident I’ll be playing the Test. Stand at first slip and if anything goes to third man I’ll just say to Tom ‘run and grab that one’.”