Instincts and nerves took over Ross Taylor on the field after he stamped his class in domestic tribal colours during the round-eight twenty20 victory for Central Districts Stags in New Plymouth yesterday.
"I didn't have much time to think about it but as long as you catch them I suppose you're fine," Taylor said at Pukekura Ppark yesterday after responding to a post-match question on how he felt under high balls not long after recovering from eye surgery a month ago.
The 32-year-old was dumped this week from the ANZ T20 International Series against Bangladesh starting in Napier on Tuesday on "his performance" and not because he was recuperating from a condition of surfer's eye, which had reached a painful threshold during the Pakistan tour here a few weeks ago.
His only twenty20 statistics, leading into this summer, was with Sussex in county cricket in England and they contradicted any assertions that he was lacking form in the format.
But in true Taylor fashion, the world-class batsmen, who signed off with a century against Pakistan on eye drops before going under a surgeon's knife a month ago, opted to channel his energy into fulfilling his domestic obligations in the Heinrich Malan and Ben Smith-coached Stags side in their Super Smash T20 campaign.