Comments
Brian Lara is unique. There wasn’t a batter like him before. We could almost say with certainty that there will not be a batter like him.
Cricket will indeed be lucky if it gets to see another batter who could make scores like 375 and 400 not out in Tests and 501 not out in a First Class match.
Lara’s batting wasn’t just about numbers. It was also about the joy he gave to the spectator as he batted his way to reach those numbers. And yes, the numbers mattered to him. Why shouldn’t they? Sport is about trying to be the best. And numbers help in making a claim for that position.
If Lara still holds the records for the highest Test and First Class scores — 17 years after he retired — in a game that has produced the likes of Don Bradman, Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Virat Kohli, that says something about the little big man from Trinidad and Tobago. The book Lara, The England Chronicles, which he co-authored with Phil Walker, provides insights into those marathon innings and how the mind of a genius works.
England adventures
The book, as the title indicates, is largely about Lara’s adventures in or against England. It is not surprising that he has chosen to focus on his experiences with England.
Both those massive Test innings were against England, the incredible 501 not out came in a match in England, for the county team Warwickshire.
The book, however, also talks about how he evolved into a world-class batter from being a little kid who was also a good footballer, growing up in a village called Cantaro in the Santa Cruz valley.
Like many successful athletes, he was living his father’s dream. You see the single-mindedness of a father who would try to ensure, through the coach, Brian warmed the benches more during a football match, so that he wouldn’t sustain injuries that could possibly keep him out of cricket. Lara was, of course, destined not to kick a ball with his feet, but to caress, or clobber it with his bat, with that high backlift of his. He tells us how he got that backlift.
Technical aspects
For those who follow cricket seriously, the way he talks about such technical things — not just of batting, but bowling as well — will make fascinating reading. And Lara is excellent when it comes to analysis. One recalls how good he was as a commentator when he was part of an interesting concept called Dugout on StarSports during the IPL a few years ago.
The book also allows us a peek into his mind as a gifted, ambitious athlete. And he does it with brutal honesty. Thankfully, there is no false modesty. There is only the awareness of one’s own abilities.
Lara says, while closing in on becoming the highest Test scorer at St. John’s Antigua in 1994: “...now I am obsessed. Infatuated. Big runs. Huge scores. Going bigger than anyone went before...I am the spectacle. And they are there to provide the spectacle.”
Elsewhere, he also provides a clue to why his hundreds tend to be bigger than others’: “If you don’t get me first, then I am in charge of everything.”
The bowlers who have played against him would be nodding in agreement.
Lara is equally forthcoming with the failures in his career and some tough times he had as a captain. He even talks about the time he had to consult a psychiatrist in the US.
Lara, The England Chronicles is also a chronicle of the rise and fall of the West Indies cricket empire, one of the most written about topics in the game. Lara and Walker do that rather well.
Lara also pays a lovely tribute, among others, to Malcolm Marshall, possibly the greatest of the great West Indies fast bowlers.
The last line of the book is Lara’s promise of a sequel. It is worth waiting for.
(The writer is Senior Assistant Editor-Sports, The Hindu)
You can find the book on Amazon.
Comments
Comments
Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.
We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of TheHindu Businessline and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.