Brian Lara was known for his exceptional ability to score big hundreds, and accumulating massive runs was a natural talent for him from a young age. This remarkable quality distinguished him from his peers, as his contemporaries often settled for a hundred when in good form. However, ‘the prince of Trinidad’ aimed higher; once he got going during his playing days, he would consistently strive for truly monumental scores that enabled him to break numerous batting records.
One notable instance is his outstanding double century against Sri Lanka in the third test of the series at SSC Colombo during his impressive scoring streak in their home ground back in November 2001. In that match, he not only regained his pride as arguably the best batsman in world cricket but also made a significant statement with his performance, countering all discussions about him having passed his prime and no longer being the great batsman everyone remembered.
Let’s recall that remarkable innings by the ‘prince of the Port of Spain’ when he effortlessly played with the bowling attack on pitches perfectly suited for the home team’s spinners.
Pride at stake
The West Indies cricket team entered the match with a strong resolve to make a statement after losing the first two tests, as Captain Hooper opted to bat upon winning the toss. Sri Lanka quickly made their mark when left-arm seamer Chaminda Vaas took Chris Gayle’s edge on the fourth ball of the day, resulting in his dismissal for zero runs. This marked the fourth occasion in the series that Vaas had gotten out the tall Jamaican, and he continued his success by trapping Daren Ganga lbw for six runs in his fourth over. As Brain Lara stepped onto the field with his team under immense pressure and no safety net, he demonstrated his true champion spirit by skilfully navigating through the challenging situation with his composed presence at the crease.
Lara’s calming influence at the crease
Ramnaresh Sarwan, the gifted young player from Guyana, was joined by Lara when the score was 20 for two. Given how Vaas was bowling, it appeared to be a challenging task for the batsmen to handle him. However, Brian quickly asserted himself with his skilful touch and ability to place the ball in gaps for easy runs, which calmed the nerves in the West Indian dressing room. This support allowed young Sarwan at the other end to play his natural game.
As a result, they made a solid recovery for the Caribbean team and went into lunch without any further issues.
Aggression By the great Brian Lara
After lunch, with the score at 90/2, Brian effortlessly dealt with the Sri Lankan bowlers, capitalizing on any loose deliveries. One of the most remarkable aspects of his performance was how he faced spin maestro Muralitharan, playing both with and against the spin while preventing him from establishing a consistent line. This left Sri Lanka’s top bowler perplexed, as he had troubled batsmen worldwide. Lara’s dominance also benefited Sarwan, who displayed an aggressive approach in his batting and occasionally matched Lara’s strike rate.
Lara Enjoyed The Tea Break
Brian Lara relished the tea break after achieving his 17th test century, but it wasn’t straightforward; he remained on 99 for nine deliveries and narrowly avoided an LBW decision. Ultimately, he reached the milestone in 159 balls, hitting 12 fours. This marked his second century of the series, following his score of 178 in the first test at Galle just a few days prior.
A Batting Master Class By Brian Lara and Carl Hooper
Following the tea break, disaster struck when Sarwan was run out while attempting a quick single, and since it was Lara’s call, he felt quite remorseful for young Guyanese, who seemed poised to achieve his first Test century. Unfortunately, luck was not on the young man’s side, and losing his wicket left Brian furious with himself. Suddenly, he began hitting powerful shots against Muralitharan. Skipper Hopper helped him relax, and together they developed a strong and aggressive partnership in the last session, which resulted in 120 runs.
During this impressive collaboration, Lara reached his 150, while Hopper went on to score another test match half-century.
The Day Belonged to Lara
Hooper adapted quickly and reached his fifty in just 62 deliveries, hitting eight fours. He finished the day not out on 52, but it was Lara who stole the spotlight, remaining unbeaten on 178 and overpowering Muralitharan, who bowled 32 overs without taking a wicket.
Throughout his thrilling innings, Lara surpassed 7000 test runs in only 83 matches and 146 innings.
Lara started the Day 2 in Style
Starting the day with an overnight score of 327 for 3, West Indies got off to a strong beginning as Lara sent the first ball of day two to the boundary for four runs. It appeared that West Indies would overpower the Sri Lankan bowlers; however, the home team had different plans. They bowled effectively against other West Indian batsmen, taking wickets and putting pressure on Lara.
Nevertheless, he remained undeterred and reached his fourth double century by glancing down the leg side off Zoysa for another four runs. Brian Lara, akin to a lone warrior, was eventually dismissed for an impressive 221 after being bowled by left-arm spinner Vaas.
By the time he was out, he had led his team to nearly 400 runs in their first innings.
However, it was once again evident that he was a solitary fighter, contributing 56 percent of his team’s total.
This statistic underscores the fact that none of his partners were able to support him for long periods, which has been one of the challenges he faced throughout his career. Not only did he have to score runs, but he also needed to shield his vulnerable batting partners at the other end. This situation highlights both his exceptional batting skills and mental resilience.
Although Lara’s innings may not have led to test match victories, it was not due to any lack of effort on his part; he dedicated himself fully to his team. Cricket is a team sport where every player must contribute to achieve a win, but unfortunately, that did not occur during his career. Nevertheless, this does not diminish Lara’s stature as a batsman, and he will forever be remembered as the greatest entertainer the world of cricket has ever seen.
