Wellington: New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor has played down suggestions that the English have taken hosts lightly in their ongoing Test series, with the Ashes looming for the tourists mid-year.
Following their current away series against New Zealand, which is poised at 0-0 heading into the third and final test starting at Eden Park tomorrow, the English will head home - where they will host the Black Caps in a two-test series in May.
Taylor has poured cold water on talk that the English have shown complacency in the longest form of the game in New Zealand, even though they are yet to win a game in the whites against a Kiwi team this summer.
Taylor said it is a long way away, that Australian trip, adding each team goes through different phases and this is obviously in their winter, and a few of their Test players went home.
Taylor added New Zealand probably is not an easy place to come and play test cricket straight away, adding England has got better and better as the series has gone on and he is sure they would be even better at Eden Park.
The former captain, who has scored 31, 0 and 41 not out this series, said the mood in the New Zealand camp was good going into the Auckland test.
ANI
First Published: Thursday, March 21, 2013, 15:02