The Hindu : Lara — back with a bang

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Feb 11, 2003

Sport

Sport - World Cup

Lara — back with a bang

By K.SRIKKANTH

The man loves the big stage for sure. He could be returning from a serious illness, he might have been out of cricket for months, and he would surely have been rusty coming into the World Cup.

However, class never dies, and Brian Charles Lara, one of the greatest batsmen of our times, made the inaugural match of the World Cup a memorable occasion. If you look at his remarkable career, the Trinidadian has invariably made runs when it matters.

It was no different against South Africa, with the West Indian producing an innings of rare beauty and grace. The knock also reflected on his rather incredible levels of confidence and self-belief.

Making a comeback, following days of pain and anguish, in a World Cup opener, where the pressure and the stakes are high, it speaks much about the man's character that he was able to deliver, finding his feet so soon.

What struck me about Lara's match-winning hundred was how well he paced his innings. The ball was seaming around at the start, the Caribbeans had lost early wickets, and it was important for the left-hander to see through this testing phase safely.

He was a shade lucky when Jacques Kallis in the slip cordon could not latch on to a difficult chance very early on, but like most quality batsmen, made the opposition pay for the lapse.

Shaun Pollock and Mkhaya Ntini were probing in the South African attack, and application was the need of the hour initially. He did just that and when the pitch eased out, Lara opened out to essay some scintillating cover-drives, square-drives, flicks and pulls. Like always, Lara found the gaps to perfection, the hallmark of a great player that he surely is.

Having Lara back in full flow is very important for the West Indians from a psychological point of view as well. He is the best cricketer in the side, and if Lara makes runs, it is a shot in the arm for Hooper's men.

In fact, the depth in the West Indian batting came to the fore in the game, and the contributions of Chanderpaul, Hooper, Powell and Sarwan were crucial too. The last two really cut loose towards the end, and the Caribbean strategy of playing seven specialist batsmen worked.

Lara's innings was the backbone though, and it was an effort that this extraordinary batsman will treasure for long. Lara is in fine nick, and the West Indies appears a dangerous outfit.

www.kris-srikkanth.com

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