I am 95 per cent fit, says Taylor

His left-forearm is still bandaged after surgery but Delhi Daredevils’ prized recruit Ross Taylor said he was “95 per cent” fit and available for selection for their Indian Premier League match against Mumbai Indians on Monday.

The New Zealand captain broke his forearm when he was struck by a Morne Morkel short-pitched ball in the third Test against South Africa last month, forcing him to skip the first three matches of the IPL. He arrived here on Wednesday and attended a practice session.

“There is still a little bit of stiffness. I am 95 per cent fit. I saw a surgeon in New Zealand before I came here. I got my stitches off last Thursday. The doctors were happy with my progress. There has been improvement every day since I came here,” Taylor said. 

“The surgery surely helped a lot. I don’t think I would have been able to play here if I didn’t have the operation. I am fortunate that I recovered quicker than expected,” he added. 

Daredevils are spoilt for choices in batting after Taylor's arrival, with Kevin Pietersen and Mahela Jayawardene already in their ranks. “I guess when (David) Warner gets here it will be a difficult choice. But right now the team is doing pretty well. The local and overseas players are gelling well together. “

Learning process

The team has three former international captains and Taylor said he was ready to pick a few tips. “I am looking forward to working with Viru and Mahela. I am new at international captaincy so any information or tactics that I would learn from them will be invaluable to me.”

The New Zealander, who was with Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore earlier, was willing to bat at any spot, though, he paused before making his preference clear. “With the kind of finisher’s role I have played at Rajasthan Royals, fourth or fifth is my spot.”

Taylor predicted a close competition this year and felt Delhi needed to make Kotla a tough ground for the opponents. “Last year also there were 6 to 7 teams vying for the top four positions and they were decided in the last few matches. I don’t think this year would be any different. That is why we would like to make Kotla stadium a tough ground for opposition. Obviously, playing well away from home will also contribute to us winning the IPL.”

Fans have been eagerly waiting to waatch Pietersen’s ‘switch-hit’ and Tillkaratne Dilshan’s ‘Dilscoop’ in the IPL. When asked if he would like to try some fancy shots in the IPL, Taylor quipped: “Brendon (McCullum) has his own scoop shot that he likes to play.

For me, I would stick to the basics.” The IPL, according to Taylor, will also provide a chance for him to prepare for the upcoming Test series against India, though, the Kiwi was quick to add that he wasn’t thinking that far ahead. 

"Spin becomes lot more prevalent in these conditions and we will gain a lot of experience. However I am not really thinking about our Test series against India in August. Right now, the focus is on IPL,” Taylor said.