Cricket: Ross Taylor removes the doubts

Ross Taylor acknowledges the crowd after his 290. Photo / Getty

You can only guess at the inner satisfaction Ross Taylor felt.

For sure there will be a residue of disappointment too. For want of 13 runs, he would have become New Zealand's highest individual test scorer, and against Australia too.

Not, due respect, some lightweight bowling attack but a good quality group, albeit one labouring in a sauna and bowling on a road. Yet the conditions only added to the lustre of Taylor's performance.

He knew he was due some runs.

His leadup for the Australian tour had been poor, courtesy of a nasty injury in Zimbabwe, which sidelined him for six weeks and left him well short of preparatory work.

The first test in Brisbane had been a struggle and Taylor determined a change in approach was needed.

''Sometimes you can either try and graft it out or play some shots," he said today of his 290 at the Waca.

''I thought the best way was to go out and play my shots.

''That's probably what comes more natural to me, and it's surprising when you hit a couple out of the middle, your feet start moving and the confidence gets up.

''(Brisbane) played a little bit on my mind. You start questioning yourself and little doubts creep in so it was nice to get rid of those."

Since Taylor struck three hundreds in successive home tests against the West Indies in 2013, he had made one century and three fifties in 23 innings.

At times he has looked short on self belief. But this time he grew in stature and at the point he got out today, it seemed he was immovable; Australia's bowlers the waves unable to shift the rock. He was out to the 374th ball he faced, 43 of which he'd hit to the fence.

In his nine and a half hour marathon over three days at the Waca, Taylor gave one chance, at 138, sharp to gully off Mitchell Starc.

The most challenging part of these innings' is maintaining concentration and technique when the conditions are debilitating. Still, better to bat than bowl when the fan bake oven is on.

Taylor's driving was secure, indeed several spanked through the covers were as good as you'd see. His placement was sound. He stayed away from the traps Australian attempted and earned a fabulous reward.

His average is up to 46.65, second only to team mate Kane Williamson's 48.82 of those with 20 or more innings. Both are inching towards 50, the mark which distinguishes the best from the merely very good.

Taylor has probably never heard of Reginald 'Tip' Foster. At 288 he passed the man who captained England at cricket and football to take over the 112-year-old record for top score against the Aussies in their back yard.

Only Brendon McCullum and Taylor's mentor, Martin Crowe, sit ahead of him on New Zealand's table of merit.

Batsmen tend to get just one chance to grab the top rung.

The next few years will determine whether Taylor has missed his. Then again, he gained so much out of this innings.

Perhaps most importantly the knowledge that at 31 he's still very much in business.

- By David Leggat in Perth