Cricket: Emotional captain praises team's fight

Ross Taylor of New Zealand celebrates with a teammate. Photo / Getty Images

The one thing Ross Taylor has tried to instill in his New Zealand team is fight.

It was markedly absent in Brisbane a week ago, so he was chuffed by what his players achieved yesterday in Hobart.

"That was for the New Zealand public," an emotional Taylor said after the seven-run win over Australia at Bellerive Oval.

"They know when we play Australia we're always underdogs, but they don't like it when we don't show much fight.

"We showed a lot of ticker today," Taylor said, reflecting on his second win in three tests since taking over as skipper from Dan Vettori.

Taylor wouldn't hear of this Australian team being a shadow of some of their past sides. It's still the formidable baggy greens in his eyes.

"Australia fought the whole way. We would have won by 40 runs against some teams."

New Zealand knew they had to get wickets before lunch.

"I never felt in on that wicket [when he was batting] so I knew it wouldn't be easy.

"Wickets fall in clumps and if there was a partnership we knew we couldn't be too flat. We had to be as upbeat as possible, try and believe that whatever situation we get in, that we can win."

Taylor had high praise for nine-wicket hero Doug Bracewell, who turned in a herculean effort yesterday.

He backed a hunch with Bracewell. He noticed when Australian seamers Peter Siddle and James Pattinson were bowling from the southern end they were more threatening.

"Doug is 5km/h slower but similar in that he hits the deck and swings it away. He bowled outstandingly for a young guy to come in in only his third test and get Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke and Mike Hussey [in 15 balls]. That's something to tell the grandkids."

Australian skipper Clarke was stern-faced as he assessed the wreckage of his team's second innings chase.

"It probably sums up where we are as a team at the moment," he said.

Australia have lost two of their last three tests and Clarke's grim demeanour told of big problems ahead of India's four-test series. But he wasn't blaming the seam-helpful conditions for the loss. "I love seeing a result in test cricket. I'm not going to complain about the pitch.We both had to play on it, and we got outplayed."