OPINION: Well done, Ross Taylor, on scoring 18 test centuries.
Yesterday's double-ton takes him past his mentor and idol Martin Crowe, how fitting it was. His name, his stats, his career, his achievements will be greater in years to come than they seem now.
I'm told cricket is a mental game too - strong minds help.
- Blackcaps vs Bangladesh: New Zealand chasing first-inning lead in Wellington
- Wagner, Boult run through Bangladesh
- Rain washes out day two at Basin Reserve
Taylor is one tough nut and I admire him, not because we share the same birthday, but because I feel like he represents me and the values I aspire to.
Many lesser, weaker, bitter, twisted, dummy-spitting men would have thrown the game in if they'd been dumped as captain and replaced by the new coach's favourite, Brendon McCullum.
It was a public relations disaster. Taylor was unceremoniously humiliated in front of a nation. He must have wanted to be left alone, but he had to do the walk of shame, like walking home the morning after the night before with not much on.
He didn't sulk for long. He decided to prove to us, to NZ Cricket and most of all to himself, that he could fight to the death with class, charisma and dignity.
You see, in life, it's really all about how you recover from disappointments. I say this to myself now and then. Don't let a setback set you back, use it to motivate the bejesus out of you.
Did he want to be a footnote in history or a giant of the game? He has the talent.
Sometimes we have to face a brutal reality, use it as a positive. Find a mentor, like Ross did in Martin Crowe. If you strike adversity, don't push it away, embrace it, take it with you as your why - your reason.
It's how we act following a major setback that defines us. You choose - is it class or crass?
Duncan Garner is host of The AM Show.
