Brian Lara Birthday Special: 400 vs England and Other Spectacular Knocks by the Legendary Caribbean Batsman

West Indies' legendary batsman Brian Lara turns 51 on Saturday (May 2, 2020). Hailing from Trinidad, the southpaw had magical wrists courtesy which he played several stellar knocks in his illustrious career. The left-handed batsman had the tendency to stick his boots in the wickets and his elegant shots were a treat to any eye. Be it rescuing the team after a top-order collapse or scoring runs at a rapid pace, the Prince rose to every challenge which came his way. As the Caribbean star turns a year older, we'll revisit five times when he destroyed the opposition bowling line-ups. Shane Warne Names Brian Lara Skipper of His Greatest West Indies XI.

Making his international debut in November 199, Lara didn’t take long in becoming the cornerstone of the Caribbean sides in all the formats of the game. Speaking of his numbers, Lara amassed 11953 and 10405 runs from 131 Test matches and 299 ODIs respectively. In fact, two of the three highest scores in Test cricket came from Lara’s willow only. Well, these records certainly reflect the prowess of the batman and it will be interesting to whether someone will go past the Caribbean great or not. Meanwhile, let’s look at his five best innings. When Brian Lara Became the First Batsman to Score 400 Runs in a Test Innings.

375 Vs England in Antigua

Brian Lara played a stupendous knock against England in the third Test of 1994 Test series against England. After the openers departed early, the onus was on Lara to steady the ship. However, what he went on to do was certainly not on the cards. He toiled the England bowlers for almost two days and scored 375 runs, the highest Test score at that time. As a result, Windies declared at 593/5 in the first innings. However, the visitors made a comeback with the bat and the game ended in a draw.

400 Vs England in Antigua

History was scripted when Brian Charles Lara came on to bat in the 4th Test of England’s 2004 Tour. A decade ago, Lara played a jaw-dropping knock against the same opposition at the same venue. Well, the skipper was in full mood to replicate his heroics again and he went on to do even better. The talismanic batsman looked in full flow from the moment he came into bat and looked all set to play a marathon knock. After six sessions of hardship, Lara finally became the first man on the planet to score 400 runs in a single inning of Test cricket, a record which is still safe after 16 years. However, the game ended in a draw.

169 Vs Sri Lanka in Sharjah

Coming to bat at number three after the early fall of Stuart Williams, Lara stood strong and played an inspiring knock in the 5th ODI of Singer Champions Trophy 1995. The youngster didn’t just brilliantly tackle the Lankan bowlers but also scored runs at a rapid pace. He became even more lethal in the latter half of his innings where he rained fours and sixes. He ended up scoring 169 runs off mere 129 balls. Riding on his brilliance, West Indie posted 333/7 in the first innings and went on to clinch the encounter by four runs.

156 Vs Pakistan in Adelaide

Lara’s last century in ODIs came in the 7th match of 2005 Tri-Series. On a bowling-friendly Adelaide track, the Caribbean skipper put up a batting exhibition and played a stellar knock. He assessed the conditions well in the first half of his knock. However, he shifted the gears after settling his feet and smashed the Pakistani bowlers all over the park. He scored 153 runs in total as West Indies piled up 339/4 while batting first and went on to register a 58-run triumph.

213 Vs Australia in Kingston

West Indies were reeling at 5/2 during the 2nd Test of Australia’s 1999 Tour to the Caribbean Islands. However, captain Lara came in to bat and the momentum of the game shifted drastically. Batting against the likes of Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie, the left-handed batsman didn’t put a foot wrong against the swinging red cherry and opened his hands afterwards. He scored a scintillating double ton which proved to be crucial as the home side won the game by 10 wickets.

After making the mockery of the bowlers for almost 17 years in international cricket, Brian Lara bid adieu to all forms of cricket after the conclusion of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007. However, even after 12 years of international retirement, the Prince hasn’t lost his sheen. During Australia’s bushfire relief match and Road safety series, fans again witnessed the prowess of Lara’s magical wrists and the veteran certainly looked like giving any youngster a run for his money.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 02, 2020 08:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).