Guptill heroics won't earn Test recall: NZ coach

Photo: AFP

Hamilton: New Zealand batsman Martin Guptill's smashed an unbeaten 180 runs to guide New Zealand to seven wicket victory against South Africa on Wednesday in Hamilton.

Guptill became the first Blackcaps player to score 180 runs or more on more than 3 occasions. But New Zealand Coach Mike Hesson feels his sensational ODI form is not enough to earm him a place in Test side.  

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.