ADELAIDE, Australia, 26 November 2005 — Brian Lara was on the brink of eclipsing Allan Border’s world record for most runs in Test cricket after a majestic double-century against Australia on the opening day of the final Test at Adelaide Oval yesterday.
The Trinidad left-hander was just 12 runs away from surpassing Border’s 11-year Test record after he defied the Australian bowling attack for six hours to remain unconquered on 202 at stumps.
Lara was on 11,163 runs, just 11 runs behind Border’s aggregate (11,174 runs) at day’s end and looks set to break the mark on Saturday.
The 36-year-old batting virtuoso became only the second player to pass 11,000 Test runs as he claimed his 31st Test century and ninth against Australia to finally unleash the batting artistry that has made him one of cricket’s all-time greats.
His unbeaten 202 in 363 minutes with 20 boundaries dwarfed the combined efforts of his team-mates’ 140 runs as West Indies reached the close at 352 for seven, with Daren Powell not out seven in by far the best first innings for the Caribbean tourists in the series already won by Australia. “It’s testimony that I’ve been batting for 15 to 16 years in Test cricket, anybody who spends that sort of time and is any sort of a decent batsman is going to be in and around certain records,” Lara said.
“It feels great, I’ve been working pretty hard in the Super Series and the other two Tests against Australia, but I knew I was feeling good and I was actually getting starts and getting into double figures but not going on.
“I knew this was just around the corner, I was ready and I was really looking forward to this particular Test match ... it’s a great feeling to finally get some runs in Australia.
“I have a lot of confidence in my batting in this particular match and I was happy at the end of the day of not just getting a hundred but a double hundred.” Lara was given a standing ovation to the wicket and at day’s end in probably his last Test in Australia.
He raised his double hundred — his eighth in Tests — two overs before stumps with a pulled boundary off paceman Brett Lee to continue his love affair with the Adelaide Oval where he currently averages almost 95 runs per innings. It was Lara’s second century at the picturesque oval, once the stamping ground of Australian cricket icon Don Bradman. He amassed 182 in his last Test appearance here in 2000. It was an overdue return for the “Prince” in a troubled series of below-par scores and questionable umpiring decisions.
His double century came up in 352 minutes off 261 balls with 20 boundaries. It was his fourth hundred in Australia with his first one — a blazing 277 — a memorable classic in Sydney in 1993.
Lara has the highest Test score of 400 not out against England in Antigua in April last year and also the third-best score of 375 against England also in Antigua in 1994.
It was his fifth Test hundred of the year following knocks of 196 and 176 against South Africa and 130 and 153 against Pakistan.
The tourists sorely needed Lara’s sizeable contribution after losing their four top-order wickets cheaply.
Lee struck three times in the morning session with the wickets of recalled opening batsman Wavell Hinds (10), his partner Devon Smith (7) and vice captain Ramnaresh Sarwan (16) to have them 71 for three at lunch.
Skipper Shivnarine Chanderpaul was out at mid-afternoon drinks for 25 when he feathered a catch behind off medium-pacer Andrew Symonds leaving the tourists at 121 for four.
Dwayne Bravo, a centurion in the last Hobart Test, fell to leg-spinner Stuart MacGill caught at short extra cover by Ricky Ponting for 34 and put on 116 on for the fifth wicket.
