GODS of cricket - Brian Lara

Continuing after having scored a century a couple of days earlier against Durham (the previous day having been washed out), a batsman reduced their bowling to pulp and added hundred after hundred to his tally. New Zealander Roger Twos, Trevor Penny, Paul Smith and Keith Piper stood with him as they witnessed from close quarters an innings of a lifetime. There were only about a hundred spectators at the start of the day, but with the passing of time the inflow of audience ceased to stop and the stadium was jam-packed: they were to witness one of the most astonishing innings in cricket. In just 427 deliveries, the 23-year old batting great from West Indies scored an unbeaten 501 for Warwickshire that still stands as the highest score in a first-class cricket match. It was only a trailer to what was coming from the bat of Brian Charles Lara.

Brian Charles Lara

Only seven weeks earlier the god-gifted youngster had set the record for the highest individual score in Test match cricket, scoring 375 against England in 1994. The unusual aspects of this enigmatic player was not just his penchant for scoring big (in fact, huge) runs, but his flashy batting style with bent knees and high backlift, and the blade coming down suddenly to send the ball crashing to the boundary. Lara went on to break countless other batting records in his extraordinary career that spanned 16 years, ending on a not-so-shiny note with the World Cup 2007 in the Caribbean.

“Records are there to be broken and I’m happy to be the one doing it. If the records I have set are broken I hope I am the one doing it. It’s hard to compare my Test 375 with 501 here. You just have to cherish both of them.”

He did just that when he scored an unbeaten 400 a decade later.

Lara is the only player to have scored a century, a double century, a triple century and a quadruple century in Test cricket, as he broke Matthew Hayden’s record of 380 in Antigua in 2004. His countless other Test innings have earned him praise from all over the world, his 277 against Australia and 153 against the same opposition being regarded as some of his best.

But even the best have problems, and Brian Lara drew criticism for his indifferent approach towards cricket for some time. He became a little sluggish and big runs from his blades were few and far between, and as captain Brian Lara’s tactics and commitment were questioned. West Indies cricket slowly slided to an all-time low, with series loss a foregone conclusion against most opposition – even Bangladesh were able to give the Windies a scare more than once. Lara was known for his brilliance more than his commitment, and his awesome assault drew in gasps and left spectators dumbstruck, but not-so-frequent batting exploits alone cannot satisfy everyone, and Lara suffered. There was also the issue of contract disputes and discipline. The team that he led after a while struggled with the absence of world class fast bowlers in Courtney Walsh and Curtley Ambrose.

Lara had his share of highs and lows

“In the past I often reacted to what I perceived to be the stresses of cricket by getting away from it and hanging out with friends. Instead of confronting problems, I would turn my back on them. Now I’ve realised I want to give cricket 100%,” he had said.

But his sudden bursts were his characteristic. Constantly compared to the ever-consistent Sachin Tendulkar, his fans argued that Lara’s speciality lay in big bursts in short span of time and the style that was unmatchable.

In 2004, amidst gloom, Lara’s West Indies defied all odds to claim the Champions Trophy in England. Lara’s ability to lift the sagging morale was also testified during its resurgence against the then best one-day team, India, in a one-day series in 2007. He broke Allan Border’s record in Adelaide in 2005 to become the highest scorer in the world, till the record was broken by Sachin Tendulkar.

His retirement may not do justice to the legend that he was, but inspite of his lows and weaknesses, his extraordinary abilities were something that made viewing cricket so much more pleasurable. In his pomp, he could destroy all the bowlers in the world. He was arguably the greatest left hander the world has even seen. Bowling legends Muttiah Muralitharan and Glenn McGrath have both revealed that he was the toughest batsman they have bowled to. Not for nothing, for he was, and will be in the pages of cricket, a true legend. As Obama described him once, a ‘Michael Jordan of cricket’. A GOD of cricket.