Gayle sees Laras shadow in Darren

West Indies captain Chris Gayle found Brian Laras shadow in rookie Darren Bravo and felt the youngster...

West Indies captain Chris Gayle found Brian Laras shadow in rookie Darren Bravo and felt the youngster did a good job in his debut match against India. Gayle said Bravo not only has a technique which reminds him of that of Lara but the youngster also resembles the left-handed batting great in his appearance.

There are some similarities,like the batting technique and they look alike a bit. Brian is his idol,and he now has the ability to grow from strength to strength, said Gayle of Bravo,who managed to impress during his 16-ball 19 at Sabina Park in the first ODI.

He didnt look too bad in his first game and hopefully he can use this as a learning experience and then we will see how it goes in the next game, Gayle said. He didnt show any form of nerves in the dressing room,maybe it was his brother (Dwayne) who calmed him down a bit and he did well in the outfield as well,so hopefully he can get a bigger score if the opportunity comes across him again, Gayle added.

Match winner,says Dhoni

Story continues below this ad

Indian captain MS Dhoni too seemed impressed with the 20-year player and said he needed time to develop their craft. The more international cricket he plays,the better for him. I personally feel that youngsters need to spend some time playing international cricket, Dhoni said.

He hinted that Bravo looked like a potential match winner and made what appeared to be a veiled call for the West Indies selectors and team management to allow him more opportunities to settle into international cricket. I personally feel youngsters need to spend some time,its up to the board and selectors and captain to give them that time, Dhoni advised. Most of the players who play at the international level have the talent its just that some players get more backing than others. Some are considered match winners and often match winners are given more time compared to others, Dhoni said responding to a question about Bravos initial outing.

He also added that it is easier for young players to be groomed on the international stage when they are in a winning outfit. At times,it becomes very difficult. Its easy when your team is doing well,you can really push that player in. I think it is up to the selectors to groom a player, Dhoni reasoned.