Ross Taylor hopeful of overcoming calf injury ahead of England Tests, WTC final

Christchurch: Recovering from a calf injury, experienced New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor said he will be back to full fitness ahead of the two-Test series against hosts England and the World Test Championship (WTC) final against India. [caption id=“attachment_9633911” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] File image of New Zealand’s Ross Taylor. AFP[/caption] The 37-year-old Taylor had suffered a calf strain during a training session at their high-performance centre at Lincoln earlier in May. “Obviously you don’t want to have those little niggles and this (calf) niggle came about trying to get the hamstring right,” Taylor told ESPNcricinfo.com on Monday. “It’s part and parcel of being an international cricketer. More is made of it when you get older.” New Zealand will lock horns with England in the opening Test at Lord’s from 2 June. They will face India in the WTC final at Southampton from 18 June. “If you get a calf or a hamstring injury at 32, nothing’s made of it, but when you’re 37, there’s a few more headlines, but it is what it is, and I’m comfortable with where I’m at,” added Taylor. He had scored an unbeaten 154 during his maiden international assignment in England in 2008 and Taylor said he would look relive those fond memories. “(A) hundred-odd Tests later, (England is) still a great place to play cricket, probably one of the best tours to go on. Obviously being in a bubble is going to be a bit strange. “Thirteen years ago, fond memories of that tour and still to date one of the best innings I’ve played in Manchester in the second Test.”