Ross Taylor saluted Bangladesh for their upset win in the first Test but warned that a green Christchurch wicket was much more in New Zealand's favour as he looks to bow out of Test cricket with a bang.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The hosts are desperate to save the two-Test series to get some momentum in the defence of their world Test crown following two losses and a draw in their first three matches.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The second match against Bangladesh, starting on Sunday, will be the farewell Test appearance for Taylor, New Zealand’s most prolific run-scorer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
It will be his 112th Test, equalling Daniel Vettori as New Zealand's most-capped Test player.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Bangladesh's shock eight-wicket defeat of New Zealand in Mount Maunganui this week was "good for world cricket", the 37-year-old Taylor said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"We were outplayed the whole time. But for this game of Test cricket to survive we need Bangladesh to be a thriving nation and I think they will get a lot of confidence from that."<\/p>\r\n\r\n
But nothing would give Taylor greater pleasure than to avoid a series defeat and sign off with a victory.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"We're one-nil down, we know we have to play some aggressive cricket, but it's also a ground that we know how we're going to play and we've have had a lot of success here," he said after checking with the groundsman on the state of the wicket.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"I just asked is it a normal wicket and he said 'yes'," a smiling Taylor said. 'Normal' at Hagley Oval means very green and winning the toss means bowling first.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"The bowlers will be licking their lips and us batters need to apply ourselves better than we did at the Mount. I think these conditions will suit us a lot more than they did at the Mount," he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"We know what to expect and that's the positive about being at home and on a ground where we've played a lot of cricket on."<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Only one of eight Tests at Hagley Oval has been drawn and of the seven to produce a result, New Zealand have won six.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The one they lost, against Australia in 2016, was Brendon McCullum's farewell to Test cricket and the swashbuckling batsman marked the occasion with the fastest-ever century in Test cricket.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
He brought up his world-record 100 off 54 balls and went on to make 145 from 79 deliveries.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Taylor admitted that would be hard to emulate.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"He's set the bar very high. It would be good just to have a win," said Taylor.<\/p>\r\n\r\n