GROS ISLET, St. Lucia, 26 June 2003 — West Indies batting superstar Brian Lara continued to prosper off the Sri Lankan attack as he hammered a masterful 209 on the fifth and final day of the drawn opening Test here on Tuesday.
Skipper Lara, who crossed the 200-mark for the fifth time in 95 Tests, helped the hosts post 477-9 declared in their first innings in reply to Sri Lanka’s 354.
The tourists were 126 for no loss in their pressure-free second innings at stumps, with Sanath Jayasuriya (72) and Marvan Atapattu (50) putting on the first century stand for the opening wicket against the West Indies. Jayasuriya, struggling to regain form, also became the third Sri Lankan to complete 5,000 Test runs after Aravinda de Silva and Arjuna Ranatunga.
The 34-year-old Lara, who amassed 688 in his last three away Tests against the same opponents two years ago, continued to relish the Sri Lankan bowling with a wide range of attacking strokes. He smashed one six and 24 fours in his 21st Test hundred, the fifth in as many matches against Sri Lanka.
The hosts scored 205 in two sessions after resuming at 272-4, with Lara alone contributing 116. Key Sri Lankan bowlers Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas struggled to contain Lara, who scored as and when he pleased during his 360-ball innings before being caught behind off an attempted pull.
Off-spinner Muralitharan finished with 5-138 for his 38th haul of five or more wickets in a Test innings, but emerged the second-best in his duel with Lara.
Vaas could take only one wicket in his 39 overs, conceding 116 runs. Lara dominated a record 136-run stand for the seventh wicket with Omari Banks, the previous best against Sri Lanka being 59 between Marlon Samuels and Marvyn Dillon in 2001.
Banks remained unbeaten on 50, reaching his maiden Test half-century with a pulled six off seamer Prabhath Nissanka.
Lara, stranded on 93 on Sunday, flayed the Sri Lankan attack after reaching his hundred off 222 balls. He took 131 more deliveries to complete his double-century.
Lara initially struggled a bit, especially against Muralitharan, before putting the Sri Lankan bowling in proper perspective. Muralitharan bagged three of the five wickets that fell on a fifth-day pitch, but his effort failed to stop the hosts from gaining a psychological advantage ahead of the second and final Test starting in Jamaica on Friday.
