Brilliant Bravo seals the deal

By the end of Dwayne Bravo's debut Test series against England, it was clear that he was a fine player for the future. He was among his team's best players when he scored plenty of runs, took plenty of wickets, and above all, showed plenty of fight.

His reputation was enhanced when the West Indies endured a tough tour of Australia, where he scored a magnificent 113 in Hobart, then alarmed Australia with a miserly spell of medium-fast bowling which reaped 6 wickets at Adelaide.

But as promising as his Test performances were, his ODI performances were equally not promising. His ODI figures were rather ordinary, and despite his athletic fielding, his value to the West Indies was in doubt.

With the ball in the second ODI against India, Bravo bowled a nerveless over at Yuvraj Singh, who was already set, and trumped Yuvraj with a perfect slower ball, which took out middle stump. Bravo won a match that seemed lost with a moment of brilliance, a gift that precious few players have.

Two matches later, Bravo turned in a matchturning performance with both bat and ball. First, he broke the vital Mohammad Kaif/Mahendra Dhoni partnership, then took out the dangerous big hitters, Irfan Pathan and Ajit Agarkar at the death. Then, in partnership with his friend Brian Lara, he took the game away from India with a quick fire 61 not out. The end result was a thumping win that sealed a memorable series victory.

Has Bravo turned the corner in ODIs? It's too early to say, but if he can contribute consistently with bat and ball, then the West Indies will be a far more dangerous team.