Harbhajan Singh asks Ross Taylor the reason behind his 'tongue poking' celebration

It was another one of those nights when Ross Taylor stepped up to the occasion when his side needed someone to play a substantial inning in a high-pressure 300+ run-chase. It was another day in the career of one of the all-time great middle-order batsman where he just stamped his authority and took a high-pressure run-chase by the scruff of its neck.

Taylor has done that throughout his career. He did that in 2018 when he posted his career-best 181 with literally one hand to script one of the great run-chases in One-day history. He certainly did that in the first ODI in Hamilton and was ably supported by Tom Latham and Henry Nicholls, who posted their respective half-centuries as the Kiwis finally closed out a run-chase against India.

What Taylor also did in the first ODI was dish out what has now become a custom every time he gets to a hundred- “tongue poking” Former Indian spinner questioned why Taylor did that and he duly asked the Kiwi batsman the reason behind it while congratulating him on his match-winning hundred.

“What a knock @RossLTaylor well done. Tell me why do u put the tongue out every time scoA good00. A good game of cricket,” Harbhajan asked Ross Taylor on Twitter.

What a knock @RossLTaylor well done.. tell me why do u put the tongue out every time score 100??? 😜good game of cricket #indvsnz pic.twitter.com/XjNuXVxrTW

— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) February 5, 2020

Ross Taylor’s ‘tongue-poking’ celebration started way back in 2007

Taylor’s customary “tongue poking” started off as a dig towards national selectors. Ironically, it was during New Zealand’s highest run-chase at the time [2007] when Taylor unleashed it after scoring a hundred [117] at Eden Park in Auckland. It was a subtle dig at the selectors who had dropped him from the 2006 Champions Trophy squad.

“Right back when I was at age group I got dropped a couple of times when I got hundreds. Then I poked my tongue out – (after) I got dropped – against Australia, my second ODI hundred.” Taylor revealed to World Wide of Sports back in 2014.

It started way back in 2007 after he scored a 100 against us in a record-breaking run chase (348) in Auckland. It was a dig towards the selectors for excluding him from the 2006 Champions Trophy.

Later he continued with it because that sight of him rolling his tongue out gives great joy to her daughter Mackenzie and now his son seems to like it too. “Ever since then my daughter has been pretty happy when I poke my tongue out and that’s pretty much for her as well,” Taylor added.

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