While admitting recency bias is a factor, hitting the winning runs to claim the 2021 World Test Championship is the moment that sticks as Ross Taylor's finest in a storied career.
The former Blackcaps captain announced his pending retirement from international cricket on Thursday, meaning the 2021/22 summer is his last.
Taylor has scored a New Zealand record 7584 test runs (with two tests to play), the most runs (18,074) across all formats and 110 test matches - again a New Zealand record.
Over his 16-year journey as an international, Taylor has many memorable moments including captaining the Blackcaps to test victory over Australia in Hobart, scoring the highest total by an overseas batsman in Australia (290) and numerous ODI and test hundreds that won games for his country.
But helping the Blackcaps achieve a first world title is his number one personal highlight, with Taylor at the wicket with captain Kane Williamson in Southampton against India, stroking the winning boundary.
"I never thought I'd get to play in another World Cup final," says Taylor.
"To hit the winning runs, be there with Kane [Williamson], and to win our first World Cup, I think that was pretty cool."
The 37-year-old played his first test in South Africa against a rampaging Proteas side in 2007, with fast bowling machine Dale Steyn in full stride.
Taylor scored just 44 runs in the series although he wasn't alone in struggling with the Blackcaps failing to pass 200 in all four innings.
But his first test hundred followed back home in his next test against England in a summer where he also played a match-winning hand in the second Chappell-Hadlee ODI against Australia, scoring a hundred as the Kiwis swept the Aussies 3-0.
Taylor never looked back after the 2007/08 home summer, cementing himself as a fixture across all three formats.
But for Taylor, achieving a long career as a test batsman (average of 44.87) is a major source of pride.
He admitted to having doubts early on if he could thrive as a red-ball batsman.
"I think I was pretty raw. I always thought I could play one day cricket but I wasn't a hundy [percent] on whether I would be a good Test player or not," he said.
"I worked hard on that and I think that's probably my biggest achievement. I could've just smacked it and averaged 30-odd but I changed my game for the team.
"Not many people would've been able to move their game in that direction, and I'm happy I made that decision a few years ago."
Taylor will play his final test against Bangladesh in Christchurch before an Australian swansong across the Tasman for several white-ball games.
He will finish his international career in Hamilton against the Netherlands in March.
"The Australian series is really close [to the South Africa series] and with quarantine - it's probably going to be two sides - one that goes over [to Australia] and the Test side stays behind [to play South Africa]," Taylor said.
"Going over and playing a few more one-dayers to finish my career, it's probably my best format, that's what made my decision a lot easier."
