Darren Bravo’s weight of expectations getting the better of him - Opinion
When Darren Bravo first came into the international circuit, tongue and cheek comparisons with http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Brian-Charles-Lara-c48471 highlighted the weight of expectations he bore on his shoulders. For West Indians, baying for heroes since Lara’s retirement meant that the odd glance
at Bravo drilling through the covers for four was a thrilling site. With an average of 44.37 currently, which was at one time touching 50, Bravo’s slump in form has disappointed many who witnessed his talent in full flow. His magnificent 166 at http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mumbai-c820, along
with a stylish 65 in the World Cup encounter against the Proteas provided a glimmer of hope for West Indies fans who have been witnessing a state of ‘free fall’ with their team for more than a decade.
The nascent stages of his career were quality times for Bravo. He aimed at copying one of the most inimitable masters of the game which was not a cup of tea which he knew. He pulled it off with ease and many who saw his flashes of brilliance would believe
that he was by far the only batsman who could prove a major threat to the opposition. That belief however, was short lived as the 2012 tour of the UK managed to expose http://www.senore.com/Cricket/DM-Bravo-c1386’s tradition of dishing it out in conditions similar to home. Bravo barely passed
30 in that series and fell agonizingly to the brute force of English bowlers in testing conditions. This test against the best would have been a throwback to those who believed that he could replicate Lara at the highest level. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/England-c56013 was not only the best
in the world but they were the best in their conditions.
There were signs of promise though as the odd cover drive would sail to the boundary on the hallow turf of Lords in that series. Signs of promise however, do not equate with match winning efforts and Bravo was left to grapple with a groin injury which made
him miss the five match ODI series against the Kiwis at home. He did not play in the ODI series against England prior to the Kiwi adventure and this was well before he got the groin injury. His brother http://www.senore.com/Cricket/DJ-Bravo-c1379, who had a purple patch with the IPL was
retained instead and proved to me more instrumental in a futile cause.
Being harsh on Bravo may not be the right order of the day but for a player who oozes with talent, he has disappointed off late. His three test centuries have come in the sub continent out of which his first one came against a lowly http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Bangladesh-c747 in his tenth
test. The other two were against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750 on flat decks against an impotent bowling attack. It is understandable that a run drought may come once in a while for every player, but what is disheartening to see for any keen cricket observer, is how good quality
bowlers have managed to capitalize on Bravo’s fallible technique. Barbados in 2011-2012 comes to mind when the Australians toured and ripped through him and the recent UK tour, where the likes of Anderson and Broad were literally unplayable.
Possibilities of a call back for Bravo do loom high. These are desperate times for the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/West-Indies-c760 and the fact that Darren Bravo is out with a groin injury might not necessarily mean that he has hit ground zero. At the age of 23 he still has a lot in him
to prove and his talent is unquestionable. For those who compared him to Lara would pray that those flashy wrists, high back lift and Lara-like leap, helps win games for the Windies. Otherwise it could all be about Gayle.
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