Ross Taylor picked up a wicket with his final ball in Tests as he took the wicket of Ebadot Hossain to ensure New Zealand leveled the series 1-1 with an innings win in Christchurch.
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Ross Taylor ended his Test career in grand style on the third day of the second Test vs Bangladesh in Christchurch. With the light deteriorating, the umpires told New Zealand skipper Tom Latham that the pacers could not bowl. In the end, Hagley Oval was treated to a rare sight of Latham giving the ball to Ross Taylor. The moment drew massive cheers all over the Hagley Oval. Bangladesh was nine down and facing a certain innings defeat. Three balls later, Taylor raised the cheer quotient of New Zealand to a much higher level.
Taylor flighted a full ball on the middle and leg stump to Ebadot Hossain. The tail-ender slogged to midwicket where Latham took the catch. The moment proved to be too sheepish for Ross Taylor. But, New Zealand and the crowd at Hagley Oval were in delirium. It was a fitting way to call curtains on a fitting 15-year career in Tests for Ross Taylor
The moment was special because Ross Taylor came on to bowl in a Test match after eight years. The last time he bowled in Tests was in 2013 against Bangladesh in Chhatogram. In eight years, the world changed. MS Dhoni was playing Tests. Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson, Steve Smith, and Joe Root were not big-name cricketers. New Zealand had not reached two World Cup finals and was not the ICC World Test Champions.
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From that moment in Chhatogram to Hagley Oval, Ross Taylor did not feel the need to bowl. When he got the wicket of Ebadot Hossain, it was the first time in 11 years that he took a wicket in Tests. Yes, Ross Taylor has taken wickets at the Test level. In a career that has seen 16.3 overs combined for just 48 runs, Taylor took two wickets during the 2010 Test against India in Ahmedabad.
The batsmen he dismissed were Harbhajan Singh and Sreesanth. The 2010 Test match had seen the debut of Kane Williamson who excelled with 131 on debut. Taylor had hit 56 as New Zealand trailed by 28 runs. In the second innings, India was reduced to 15/5. But, Harbhajan Singh and VVS Laxman rescued India, with Harbhajan scoring a century.
Ross Taylor came on to bowl as India saved the Test match thanks to the 163-run stand between Laxman and Harbhajan. Taylor bowled a full toss and Harbhajan danced down the track. He top-edged the slog and was caught at short fine leg for 110. A couple of overs later, Ross Taylor lured Sreesanth into the drive and the outside edge was taken by keeper Gareth Hopkins. At that time, he had a bowling average of 2, which is the same as Chris Martin’s batting average.
In subsequent years, Taylor did not bowl as he became one of the best batsmen in the New Zealand team. By taking the wicket of Ebadot, Taylor ended his Test career by giving plenty of smiles to New Zealand cricket and the fans all over the world.
