Speaking to the media on Sunday, the 31-year-old, who has so far made eight centuries in 54 Test matches, said even in the nets, he is trying not to get out, and he is constantly challenging himself to lift his game and helping other players.
The most recent example of his development came on Saturday when he made a stroke-filled 135 against New Zealand ‘A’ in their drawn match against the West Indies at the John Davies Oval at Queenstown.
Bravo said the runs were not the most important thing about that innings, it was more about spending time out in the middle and getting to understanding the conditions. The maturity, he said, has developed after being given the opportunity to lead.
“I am at a stage where I think I understand my game much more. I am more mature in the way I think, so we will see how it goes. I am excited about this series and I think it is about time I get the runs flowing once more,” he said.
“I think captaining Trinidad and Tobago Red Force gave me that insight as to what it takes to be a leader. It helped me with my game and the way I see things. I enjoy the game a lot more now, so I am looking forward to the challenge.”
The Test squad will remain in the southern island city for a four-day warm-up match, starting Thursday just prior to the start of the first Test from December 3-7 at Seddon Park in Hamilton, and the second Test on December 11-15 at the Basin Reserve in Wellington.
Before that, West Indies will face New Zealand in the first T20 International at Eden Park on Friday night.
In reply to West Indies ‘A’s 322, Phillips and Seifert mounted an opening stand of 226 when the former was out caught and bowled by Hayden Walsh Jr for 136 that came from 184 balls and included 15 fours and five sixes.
Seifert and Mark Chapman then put on 80 runs together before Seifert was trapped lbw by Raymon Reifer for 111.
Chapman was the final wicket to fall on the day, caught by Romario Shepherd from the bowling of Nicholas Pooran, who had figured of 1 for 3 from the only over he bowled.
Walsh returned figures of 1 for 47 while Reifer took 1 for 34.
The 26-year-old Shepherd scored 133 while mounting a 199-run eighth wicket partnership with Reifer that hauled the West Indies back from a precarious 113 for 7. Reifer scored a patient 65 that along with Nicholas Pooran’s 46 in the top order, took the West Indies to 322 all out.
At the close, New Zealand A were 10 without loss.
The West Indies were in trouble early losing the wickets of Brandon King and Shayne Moseley for 3 and two, respectively as the Caribbean men slumped to 13 for 2 in the fifth over.
Pooran and Rovman Powell put together a 66-run third-wicket partnership as the West Indies set about repairing the early damage but Nathan Smith took the first of his three wickets when he had Powell caught behind for 27, triggering another collapse.
With the fall of Powell’s wicket, the West Indies were 79 for 3, which soon became 79 for 4 as Smith had Kyle Myer out caught without scoring. Smith claimed his third wicket when he had Pooran caught by Joe Carter to make it 88 for 5.
Smith finished with 3 for 37.
Joshua DaSilva had made only 2 when Scott Kuggeelejin had him caught behind and the West Indies were further in the rut at 88 for 6.
Jacob Duffy, who had earlier claimed Moseley’s wicket, returned to dismiss Fabian Allen for 19 leaving the West Indies were in dire straits at 113 for 7, before Shepherd and Reifer launched their counter-offensive.
The pair put on 50 runs in just 67 balls while the 100-run partnership came up in 166 balls and 118 minutes as the West Indies crossed the 200-run mark.
Reifer’s patient 50 was made off 132 balls after being at the crease for more than three hours.
By contrast, Shepherd’s maiden 100 came off just 135 balls in 186 minutes.
Together, they took the score to 312 when Duffy had Reifer caught behind for 65.
Duffy got the wickets Hayden Walsh for 8 and Shepherd, who was last out for 133, to finish with figures of 4 for 47.
Chasing 357 for what would have been unlikely win, the West Indies were bowled out for 256.
Resuming from their overnight total of 26 without loss with Brandon King on eight and Kyle Mayers on 15, the West Indies ‘A’ added only five more runs before Doug Bracewell had Mayers caught behind for 19.
King and Moseley managed to stage a 43-run partnership when Ravindra claimed the first of his six wickets bowling King for 32. Rovman Powell joined Moseley but he didn’t last long as with the score at 106, he became Ravindra’s second wicket, caught by Bracewell for 18.
The first 50-run partnership of the innings followed as Moseley and Pooran took the score to 159 when the former fell to Michael Bracewell for 54.
A 77-run partnership followed between Pooran and Fabian Allen that took the score to 236 when Ravindra had Pooran caught behind for 69. That dismissal marked the beginning of the end of the run chase as the next five wickets fell for 20 runs with Allen the next to go for 35 by similar route.
Of the remaining batsmen, only Romario Shepherd managed to get into double figures before he was out for 11 by Blair Tickner.
Ravindra cleaned out the tail to finish with 6 for 89. Tickner got 2 for 28 in the comprehensive victory.
