Wellington - New Zealand batsman Martin Guptill's
record-breaking performance in a one-day international against South Africa is
not enough to secure him a Test recall, Black Caps coach Mike Hesson said on
Thursday.
Guptill smashed an unbeaten 180 off 138 balls as the Black
Caps beat South Africa by seven wickets in Hamilton on Wednesday, the
highest-ever score by a New Zealander against the Proteas.
It was also New Zealand's third-highest ODI score overall,
bettered only by Guptill's own 189 against England in 2013 and his 237 against
the West Indies in 2015.
Hesson acknowledged Guptill's knock was
"exceptional" but said the 30-year-old had already been tried at Test
level and found wanting.
He said Guptill would not feature in New Zealand's squad for
the three-Test squad against South Africa beginning in Dunedin next Wednesday.
"He's not in the Test side, I think you've probably got
to look at Martin's record at the moment and make that decision," Hesson
told Radio New Zealand.
"There's plenty of examples around the world of players
who have been extremely good at one format and not the other, hence there's
three different formats."
Guptill averages 43.98 in one-dayers but only 29.38 in
Tests.
The discrepancy has become even more stark recently, with
the batsman averaging almost 60 in one-dayers over the past two years while his
Test returns were stuck on 28.93.
He was dropped from the Test squad after last year's tour of
India, where he managed only one half-century in six innings.
Hesson said Guptill may have a chance to revive his Test
career as a middle-order batsman, rather than an opener, but he would have to
prove himself in domestic cricket first.
"We've decided the middle order's the place for him to
push his case," he said.
Guptill said he would do whatever was needed to play
red-ball cricket again.
"I'll bat wherever, it doesn't matter if it's at
11," he told Radio Sport.
Guptill's 180 helped New Zealand level the ODI series at 2-2, setting up a winner-takes-all clash in the fifth and final match at Auckland's Eden Park on Saturday.