da supremo： Present West Indian batting icon Brian Lara credited former great SirGarfield Sobers for a run making spree in Sri Lanka that sees him closing infast on the all-time record Caribbean run getters
Charlie Austin29-Nov-2001Present West Indian batting icon Brian Lara credited former great SirGarfield Sobers for a run making spree in Sri Lanka that sees him closing infast on the all-time record Caribbean run getters.Lara scored his second brilliant century of the series at the SinhaleseSports Club on Thursday to become the sixth West Indian batsman to score7000 runs in Test cricket.His unbeaten 178, which rescued the tourists after both openers weredismissed cheaply, also took him to 514 runs for the series after scores of178, 40, 74 and 45 in his first four innings.Before this series critics had written him off as a fading star, arguingthat he lacked the hunger and fitness to re-capture the form that saw himbreak Sir Garfield Sobers record for the highest Test score.But after six months out of the game Lara made alterations to his gameduring the team’s pre-tour training camp in Jamaica on the advice of Sobers.”My batting has changed over the last few weeks,” Lara said. “I have workingon a few things in the camp back in Jamaica. I have been trying to get myhands coming from behind the ball rather than from gully after speaking toSir Garfield Sobers, who said I had to stop chopping across the line of theball. You can tell when technical changes are working and this has played avery big part in my batting here.”Lara has won praise from coach and captain for the application anddiscipline that he has shown at the crease.”Knowing that my technique is improving, I don’t need to take chances. I amdefending the ball well and I normally score runs quickly anyway, so I don’thave to worry about making shots. I have become more patient.”Lara knew when he had reached the 7000 run milestone (the sixth West Indianto do so) and immediately raised his bat to the dressing room. Afterwards herevealed that he has his sights firmly set on Vivian Richards’ all-time WestIndian record of 8540 Test runs.”It was very special to get past 7000 Test runs and 500 in the series,” hesaid. “I have set my sights on scoring the most runs for the West Indies. Iam still a long way off Viv Richards’ record, some 1500 runs or so, but Ireally wanted to pass 7000 here and I achieved that with an innings tospare. It’s nice to inch closer to these great, great players.”But it doesn’t end here as I want to score more. We have Test matchescoming up against Pakistan, India and New Zealand and I want to maintain theform that I am in and get my average over fifty and keep it there.”West Indies ended the first day of the final Test against Sri Lanka in thedriving seat on 323 for three, with Muttiah Muralitharan, who took 21wickets in first two games, not claiming a solitary victim.Lara revealed he is now much more comfortable against the off-spinner:”Compared to the first Test match when I swept everything, I am now actuallylooking at the ball coming out of his hand. I am a lot more confidentagainst him. If you are reading him you don’t need to play thosecross-batted shots.”He bowled well but I tried to take the majority of the strike against himas I seem to be reading him better than the other guys. Not attacking me wasalso a plus. If they (Sri Lanka) are not going to have men around my batthen I am able to smother the ball.Lara’s one regret was the dismissal of Ramnaresh Sarwan, who he ran out for69.”It was such a shame,” he said “Looking back on it, there was not a run. Iwas a little too anxious to take the strike against Muralitharan. He battedso well this series. You can tell he is concentrating and working on hisgame. He is not on top of Muralitharan, but he is trying. He is a superplayer, loves the game, which is very important, and his time is definitelygoing to come.In Galle the West Indies were in a similar position at the end of day one(316 for three) but collapsed on the second and eventually lost the game.This time Lara does not want to take any chances.”We know what the pitch is like – good for batting – and that the SriLankans are capable of applying pressure on us later in the game, so we needto bat them out of the game. A safe total against Sri Lanka on their pitchesis 600.”