Brian Lara turns 55 today-Greatest ever left nader and Calypso batsmen ?

[Harsh Thakor]

Toady genius Brian Lara turns 55.

 

Brian Lara is a strong contender for the spot of the runner up to Don Bradman amongst batsmen in test cricket. In the rating’s evaluation of Ananth Narayana of cricinfo blogs in 2009.Lara was ranked only 2^nd to Bradman. The main criteria that placed Lara on this pedestal was the sum of his match performances which assessed average percentage score of team’s total, influence on game, nature of pitches strength of bowling attack ,strength of opponents and team played for etc. Notable that no post-war great had as high an average percentage score of team’s total as Lara.No great batsmen ever after George Headley had as weaks a supporting cast. It diagnosed that Lara had a more profound effect in turning games than Sachin Tendulkar .Often Lara’s slump coincided with golden period of Tendulkar.

In his peak eras, considering the strength of the team he represented, Lara arguably surpassed Sachin Tendulkar in test cricket. It is virtually impossible to seperate Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara’s merits in test cricket, with even margin of a whisker, hard to separate them. Possibly never have two best batsmen of an era, been as close to each other as this pair. Making a comparison, may do grave injustice to both players, who were both outstanding in their own right. Tendulkar had more mastery, Lara more genius. Tendulkar had better grammar being a better player technically, Lara was more poetic, with higher level of artistry. Tendulkar was more clinical, Lara more destructive. endulkar was more consistent and had greater longevity at the top , Lara was better at his best and at his peak more impactful . Tendulkar had amore staggering aggregate and number of centuries, but Lara had better highest test scores and displayed more superiority over peers, at peak. In my personal view, Lara was better in turning the complexion of test match or better match-winner and by a whisker, a better player of spin, pace or in negotiating a crisis. Still on bad wickets, they were inseparable. No era had two batsmen of such stature, as head and shoulders above others. Considering ODI’s I would overall rate Sachin a touch ahead. In an all-time test match XI I may select both Lara and Tendulkar, but if forced to make a choice with a gun on my head, my just give the vote to Lara, for his prowess in turning games single-handedly .

Lara could literally blow absolutely hot or cold, with his form or touch fluctuating 360 degrees. On his day he would rule with the majestic aura of an emperor while on another would like someone in no man’s land. It is hard to evaluate whether to attribute his inconsistency due to the weakness of the team he played for.

Commendable that Lara averaged 51 against Australia, 53.31 against Pakistan and 46.6 against South Africa who had the best bowling attacks of that era.

Lara overall scored 20%of his team’s runs overall, with only Bradman and George Headley higher in that respect.

Amongst left –handed batsmen, subjectively Lara would get my nod as the best ever, even if Gary Sobers ,K umar Sangakkara and Graeme Pollock  had higher batting averages or Alan Border surpassed Lara’s average, overseas. Lara turned games in a crisis with spectacular consistency, which Sobers ,Sangakkara and Pollock did not equal  and wore down great bowlers more than Border. No doubt Sobers dazzled more and Border was more prolific against top pace, but Lara withstood more testing conditions and circumstances, with a more prolonged tenure at the top and at his best, could be even more mercurial.

If one mathematically scales what Lara would have performed had he played for a team as strong as Viv Richards did or even Gary Sobers, it is possible he may have even overshadowed Viv and Sobers  However that is hypothetical and mathematical tabulation can never completely give correct picture..Lara did not equal to Viv as a pure match-winner or ability against express pace but was more proven in a crisis or single handedly holding a team’s mantle as well as  had higher longevity.

 I have no doubt that no Carribean batsmen or left-hander was Lara’s equal against spin .Although he averaged less Lara was more dynamic than George Headley.

 Lara would win my vote as the best ever Carribean test match batsmen.

David Gower ranks Lara in 6^th place amongst his 50 greatest cricketers, while in selection of top 100 cricketers Cristopher Martin Jenkins places him 24^th and Geoff Armstrong 21st.

Pakistani cricketers like Saed Anwar and Inzamama UL Haq or even Wasim Akram ,have preferred Lara over Tendulkar in an all-time XI, but this is highly debatable. Glen Mcgrath and Jacques Kallis , rate Lara the bets batsmen of their era.

25 cricketers selected Lara in their all-time XI,I ncluding  Zaheer Abbas,Bob Willis,Abdul Qadir,Alec Stewart, Jacques Kallis,Alan Donald,Wasim Akram,Waqar Younis,Saed Anwar,InzamamUL Haq ,Rahul Drvaid and Kapil Dev.

In pure test cricket I would rate Lara, behind only Bradman and Jack Hobbs, and just a whisker ahead of Tendulkar.  Overall, adding ODI’s, I would rate him, amongst the 5 best batsmen ever, behind Bradman, Hobbs. Tendulkar an d Viv Richards.

 Amongst the greatest cricketers I would place Lara, in the top dozen ever.

 Amongst left-handed cricketers I would behind Sir Garfield Sobers virtually dead heat Lara with Wasim Akram, rating them both a whisker above Adam Gilchrist.

[vvvslaxman]

Pandya is the best West Indian batsman

[zen]

Competes with Sobers as the best left handed test batsman (and even batsman after Bradman). On this occasion, I will put him marginally behind Sobers. 

[Vijy]

Sobers = Graeme Pollock > Lara > Sanga [I don't like him at all, but he was jolly good] & others.

 

This is among those I saw.

Edited May 4 by Vijy

[vvvslaxman]

On 5/2/2024 at 11:32 AM, Vijy said:

Sobers = Graeme Pollock > Lara >> Sanga [I don't like him at all, but he was jolly good] & others.

 

Lara is one of the most natural. What flair. Kaneria messed with wrong man here.