The scars from the heart-wrenching loss to England in the World Cup final last month are still fresh in memory, but Ross Taylor has welcomed the World Test Championship as a chance to move on.
New Zealand’s two-Test series in Sri Lanka will be part of the Championship and Taylor knows a good performance will help erase some of the disappointment at Lord’s.
The first Test begins on Wednesday and will be telecast on Sony ESPN.
“A good start is needed in the Test Championship and we should not let one session dictate the outcome of the match... Every game has something in it... The way the points system is designed, even a two-Test series is important,” Taylor told The Telegraph.
“It’s exciting to be part of the Test Championship and also have your name and number on the back. It’s a new concept and will help liven up this format,” felt the former captain who is eight short of completing a century of Test matches.
New Zealand are ranked No. 2 in Tests after five straight series victories and are confident of maintaining their success rate.
“We are confident of doing well. Every game has something in the Championship and so, winning will be important… We are coming in with four spinners (Mitchell Santner, Todd Astle, Will Somerville and Ajaz Patel). The series win against Pakistan in the UAE in December has been a boost. Don’t forget, Patel did a fine job,” he said.
The 35-year-old knows well that the conditions will be vastly different. “We have got some bouncy fast wickets back home.
“When we come here, we have to adjust to slower wickets, reverse swing and obviously spin. Sri Lanka is a difficult place to play and they are a very competitive side. Obviously, the heat is a factor especially as we are coming out of New Zealand winter.
“But a lot of guys have played here and we had success in our last series here in 2012.”
Former Sri Lanka batsman Thilan Samaraweera is a part of the New Zealand support staff for this series and will provide an insight into the conditions.
“We’ve played against him (Thilan). He was a world-class batsman and he will provide some valuable information not only about the conditions, but also the players we will be coming up against.
“He is obviously been around for a while and I am looking forward to picking his brains... The boys have welcomed him with open arms and I am looking forward to an exciting few weeks with him,” Taylor hoped.
The disappointment of the World Cup final seems to haunt the team despite their efforts to put it away.
“We were obviously disappointed with the final result, but if you look at our campaign over the six weeks, it was great.
“Not many teams could go as far as we did... The team spirit and the way we played in the semi-final and the final is something that we will never forget.
“From a cricketer’s point of view, there will be ups and downs and it is best to stay calm, move on with it and look forward to the series against Sri Lanka. Time is a bit of a healer and there are players who didn’t play in the final.”
But how did he manage to motivate himself? “My family came over for the final, so once it got over, we went around Europe for a week...
“Then I was at home for eight/nine days before coming here, but it was nice... It was a tough time on the field, but it is nothing but getting those positive vibes back into your system.”
