Bravo has eyes on Test Series success
Darren Bravo said he achieved his overall objective during the West Indies opening warm-up match when he scored a classy century against New Zealand “A”. The left-hander was the best batsman in the three-day match with 135 in his only innings at the John Davies Oval.
“For me, it was not about the runs, it was about spending time in the middle and adjusting to the conditions I think this will work more in my favour in the Test series,” Bravo said. He was speaking to members of the media via Zoom from the team’s hotel in the breathtaking coastal city of Queenstown. “The pitch was not bouncy, and I believe if you put the ball in the right areas, you were going to get results. Their batsmen were not rushing anything, so I just tried to emulate that in the same way that they went about things and try to wait on the bad balls and put them away. The coach has asked us to bat for as long as possible and I tried to do that and it worked out in this particular innings.”
The 31-year-old, who has so far made eight centuries in 54 Test matches, said even in the nets, he is trying not to get out, and he is constantly challenging himself to lift his game and helping other players. Bravo’s has a very record record in New Zealand, with a highest Test score of 218 at the University Oval in Dunedin.
“I am at a stage where I think I understand my game much more. I am more mature in the way I think, so we will see how it goes. I am excited about this series and I think it is about time I get the runs flowing once more,” he said. “I think captaining Trinidad and Tobago Red Force gave me that insight as to what it takes to be a leader. It helped me with my game and the way I see things. I enjoy the game a lot more now, so I am looking forward to the challenge.”
The Test squad will remain in the southern island city for a four-day warm-up match, starting Thursday (Wednesday 6pm Eastern Caribbean/5pm Jamaica). The Test matches will be December 3-7 at Seddon Park in Hamilton, and the second Test on December 11-15 at the Basin Reserve in Wellington.
The main tour now moves to Auckland, where West Indies will face the BlackCaps in the first T20 International at Eden Park on Friday night (2am Eastern Caribbean/1 am Jamaica). The second T20I will be two days later at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui, which also stages the third, the following day.