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Bravo keeping patience with Windies bowlers

Published:Tuesday | November 24, 2020 | 12:12 AM
BRAVO
BRAVO

QUEENSTOWN, New Zealand (CMC):

West Indies left-handed batsman Darren Bravo said he still had confidence in the West Indies Test bowling attack, though they struggled to get wickets during the side’s opening match on the tour of New Zealand against the Black Caps’ reserves.

All of the bowlers in the official Test squad, except Test captain Jason Holder, had a run out during a drawn three-day, warm-up match against New Zealand ‘A’, which ended on Sunday at the John Davies Oval, but they could only capture four wickets between them.

BOWLING NUMBERS

The Windies attack failed to make inroads into the home team’s batting, and they piled up totals of 308 for three declared and 124 for one.

Holder is currently enduring managed isolation with nine other players in Christchurch under New Zealand’s COVID-19 protocols because they arrived from the Indian Premier League in the United Arab Emirates, unlike the rest of the squad.

“To be honest, we did not test (the New Zealand ‘A’ batsmen) enough with the new ball in the first innings – and we were a bit too wide and inconsistent,” Bravo told reporters during a video conference on Sunday, after his 135 in the three-day match.

“We had a very good chat as a bowling unit and as a team before we went into the second innings, and you could have seen an improvement in the way we went about things. We obviously learnt from the New Zealand ‘A’ bowlers as well.”

Bravo said the bowling unit has also been putting the Windies batsmen under pressure in the nets and he expected them to stand up to the test again in the forthcoming Tests against the Black Caps.

“We did not get the success we wanted (in the three-day game), but if you look at our bowling record (in Tests) in the recent past – Jason Holder, Kemar Roach, Shannon Gabriel, Alzarri Joseph – they have been exceptional for us over the last two to three years,” he said.

“There is no need to think anything negative. Even though they did not get the number of wickets they wanted, it was good the guys got a good run out and got a feel of things out in the middle. I am sure they will continue to put in the work, and they will get it right. I am not really worried about our bowling, to be honest.”

Bravo also expressed confidence in John Campbell and Jermaine Blackwood stepping up their game and being successful on the tour of New Zealand.

“Blackwood and Campbell have been putting in the work in the nets,” he said. “It is just a matter of concentration for Blackwood and Campbell.

“We all know how quickly they can score, but they just have to put a high price on their wicket and give themselves a chance.”