Sammy hails Darren Bravo as series drawn

Rain intervenes again to wash out play in Final Test.

PALLEKELE: West Indies captain Darren Sammy said Darren Bravo’s highly impressive performances were chief among a number of plus points his team could take from the drawn Test series against Sri Lanka. The three-match series ended 0-0 following rain-hit Tests in Galle, Colombo and Pallekele and they now head into the One-Day International series.

“Bravo’s batting was one of the positives,” said Sammy after rain washed out play on the fifth day of the third and final Test. “He was in his debut Test series and scored a half-century every time he batted. The bowling of Kemar Roach, the batting of Chris Gayle and the fighting spirit the team showed were the positives we can take from this series.”

Bravo was the find of the series as he impressed with his exciting stroke-play in all the matches, scoring 58 in the opening Test, 80 in the second and 68 in the third. The series will not only be remembered for rain, but also for Gayle’s explosive 333 in the opening Test in Galle and Kumar Sangakkara’s superb 150 on a new pitch in the second match in Colombo.

Roach was the most impressive bowler as he finished with five wickets in the opening match and bagged five for 100 in the first innings of the second Test.

The West Indies dominated the opening Test and surprised the hosts when they enforced a follow-on, before the weather got involved. Sri Lanka came back strongly in the second Test, putting in a solid all-round performance but the rain intervened again.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 6^th, 2010.