The Hindu : Windies can be on top again: Lara

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 08, 2003

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Sport - Cricket

Windies can be on top again: Lara

By Sanjay Rajan

Brian Lara has every reason to be pleased as his young side has been making rapid progress in both versions of the game. And Lara rates the historic chase against the Australians, when West Indies made 418 in the fourth innings to win the Test, as his most memorable moment. — Photo: Vino John

CHENNAI JULY 7. It is not the 375 or the 501 not out — Test and first class cricket's highest individual scores respectively — and for that matter any of his other mind-boggling efforts, but West Indies' record chase of 418 in the fourth and final Test of the recent home series against Australia which is Brian Charles Lara's most cherished moment on the field so far.

In an exclusive chat with The Hindu, the West Indian batting star who was in the city for the launch of the MRF-MAI Formule Mondiale Championship, said, "There are several memorable moments, including individual records, but this chase is the best thing that has happened in my 13 years at the Test level. Cricket, you see, is essentially a team game.

"Certainly, in the years to come, I'll be ringing up the guys to ask them if they remember that particular Test match... that magnificent run-chase. Especially after being 0-3 down in the four-Test series and world champion Australia looking for a white-wash and we trying to cling on. It was simply fabulous."

Lara said he is enjoying his second stint as captain.

"I was highly inexperienced when I was first appointed skipper in 1998. I'm a more mature person now with better man-management skills."

The Caribbean star is happy about the rapid progress of his young side.

"You need a different approach when the young ones make up the majority of the team.

"The basic idea is to get them involved; make them have team goals and couple it with their individual dreams and try and achieve them."

He said it hurts when people say `his hunger for runs has returned and all that' whenever he is in a scoring spree. I think people are being a bit unfair on that.

"I think my form has been pretty good from the time we went down to Sri Lanka in 2001. I got injured there, and the dislocated elbow was certainly going to take a long time to recover. I've stepped up my consistency though."

The good news is that the new Lara wants to take more responsibilities. "I'm definitely enjoying captaincy. And I want to pull my weight in the team as a batsman and that's of utmost importance."

While sounding confident that this West Indies side has the quality to make it to the top three in both forms of the game, Lara said Sir Viv Richards' (chairman of the selection committee) influence has been profound and the legend's confidence is rubbing off on the boys who idolise him.

Lara said Aussie paceman Glenn McGrath is the one who makes him concentrate the most, "but the best fast bowler I've faced is Wasim Akram and the best spinner, Muralitharan."

His most memorable battle?

"Quite a few actually. It is tough to recall right away. But if I were to choose from within the last two series, it would be the one with Brett Lee in Trinidad.

"I think I was on 94 for a very long time. The hour before lunch on that final day is something that I'll always remember."

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