A visit to an eye specialist paid a rich dividend for New Zealand’s Ross Taylor, who broke a number of batting records in the second Test in Perth on Monday.
So concerned was Taylor by his poor form after making a duck and 26 in the series opener against Australia at the Gabba, he sought the help of the specialist before the second Test at the WACA Ground.
He had been worried he was unable to see the ball clearly in Brisbane, due to a condition in his left eye known as pterygium.
The result was Taylor producing the innings of his career at the WACA on Monday, a career-best 290, which is the third highest individual score by a Kiwi Test batsman.
It was his first century since November last year and also the highest-ever score in Australia by a touring batsman.
“I had to get my eyes tested in between,” Taylor revealed.
“I couldn’t really see the ball so the eye drops obviously worked.”
Taylor said he also changed his approach to batting.
“I was anxious, it’s a big tour and we put a lot of pressure on ourselves and I wanted to do well and was all at sea,” he said.
“I’d put too much pressure on myself so I just relaxed, leading into this I let it all go to see where it took me.
“I got on the balls of my feet and played straight.
He added: “Chalk and cheese from where I was a week ago.”
Taylor said although he was disappointed to fall just shy of joining captain Brendon McCullum as the only Kiwis to have made Test triple centuries, he rated it as probably the best innings of his career.
He played down the failure of the Australian players to congratulate him when he was dismissed, saying they were busy celebrating with spinner Nathan Lyon for the wicket and he was in a hurry to get off the field anyway.
