5 best averages for West Indies batsmen in overseas Tests

West Indies may have been struggling to get their act going in the past few years, but everyone knows that things were not always this way for them. There was a time when the men from the Caribbean went about stamping their authority even in the opposition’s home ground.While bowling had been their forte in the past, West Indies produced quite a few legendary batsmen too. The likes of Frank Worrell, Gary Sobers, Everton Weekes, Viv Richards, Brian Lara and more lately Shivnarine Chanderpaul, all have performed brilliantly in both home and away Tests.However, there is one batsman from their current set-up who may not be of the same stature as these legends, but has managed to beat them thus far in terms of his average in overseas Tests.Let’s take a look at who this batsman is and also find out about the 4 great batsmen that he has beaten.

#5 Brian Lara

Lara is easily the best left-handed batsman of the modern era

Overseas Matches – 65, Average – 48.26

Not only is Brian Lara a legend of modern-day cricket but also one of the all time greats of the game. While Lara was exceptional in his home conditions, he batted quite brilliantly in overseas Tests as well averaging 48.26 in 65 matches played.

The stylish southpaw enjoyed batting in Sri Lanka the most as he averaged more than 100 in the country in the 4 Tests he played. Brian Lara was certainly not at his best in India, though, as he scored 198 runs in 3 Tests at an average of just 33.

#4 Everton Weekes

Weekes was among the early legends of West Indies cricket

Overseas Matches – 25, Average – 49.63

Everton Weekes was one of the earliest batting legends of West Indies cricket and boasted of a mind-boggling Test average of 58.61. His exploits in overseas Tests may not have been as prolific, but he still holds an impressive average of just below 50.

Weekes did most of his overseas scoring in India with 779 runs at an unbelievable average of 111.28 including 4 centuries which he scored in consecutive Test innings. His performance in Australia, however, brought down his overseas figures drastically as he managed to average just 24.50 in 5 Tests he played there.

#3 Vivian Richards

Viv Richards dominated opposition bowlers all over the world

Overseas Matches – 73, Average – 50.50

Perhaps one of the greatest batsmen to have ever played the game, Vivian Richards, had an equally brilliant home and away record in Tests. In fact, his overseas average of 50.50 is slightly higher compared to his overall average of 50.23 in Test cricket.

Richards played quite a few Tests in England and scored more than 2000 runs at a 64 plus average with 5 hundreds. On the other hand, he had a torrid time in New Zealand as he scored just 77 runs in 3 Tests at an average of less than 20.

#2 Garfield Sobers

Gary Sobers is one of the greatest batsmen ever

Overseas Matches – 49, Average – 50.73

Although his career average was much higher at 57.78, the legendary Garfield Sobers’ average in overseas Tests at 50.73 was also highly commendable. It makes him the second most prolific West Indian batsman in terms of overseas average.

Among all cricket playing nations that Sobers toured, he played his best cricket in India where he scored 899 runs in 8 Tests at an average of just under 100. However, one of the countries where the southpaw struggled most was New Zealand, where he averaged just a shade above 15 in 7 Test matches.

#1 Darren Bravo

Darren Bravo’s technique is very similar to that of Brian Lara

Overseas Matches – 21, Average – 51.69

West Indies cricket may not be the same force that it was in the days gone by, but if there is one man who has stood among the ruins, it has to be Darren Bravo. By now, almost everyone who has seen Bravo bat will agree that his batting style is completely modelled on his cousin and one of the best batsmen ever, Brian Lara.

But it is difficult to imagine that he has pipped Lara and a few other greats to a batting record. In a career spanning 41 Tests, Bravo has scored close to 3000 runs at an average of 41.61. However, in 21 Tests he has played overseas, he averages 51.69, higher than Sobers, Richards, Weekes and Lara.