Brian Lara’s remarkable career is highlighted by his unprecedented feat of scoring 400 not out in a single innings of a Test match, a record that still stands strong. Often referred to as the original marathon man of Test cricket, Lara initially broke Gary Sobers’ record of 365 by scoring 375 against England in 1994. This record was later surpassed by Matthew Hayden’s 380 against Zimbabwe. However, Lara reclaimed the record with his stunning 400 not out against England in 2004, a milestone that remains unchallenged for 20 years.
Lara acknowledged that several players during his era, including Virender Sehwag, Chris Gayle, Inzamam-ul-Haq, and Sanath Jayasuriya, had the potential to break his record, particularly aggressive players like Sehwag, who scored two triple centuries for India.
Lara’s 400-run record is considered as formidable as Sachin Tendulkar’s 100 international centuries. While it seems unlikely to be broken, Lara believes that certain modern-day players could challenge it. Among those, he named two young Indian cricketers, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill, as well as English batsmen Zak Crawley and Harry Brook, who embody England’s aggressive ‘Bazball’ style of play.
Jaiswal has shown his capability with three Test centuries, all surpassing 150 runs, including over 700 runs in a Test series against England. Gill, although his highest Test score is 128, has demonstrated leadership as the current captain of the Indian team in Zimbabwe. Both players have the potential, given the right circumstances, to take a crack at Lara’s long-standing record.
Lara’s praise highlights the promising future of cricket, where young, aggressive players could potentially achieve extraordinary feats.
