And even more impressively, he would farm the strike. And a lot of it he did without really reading Murali out of the hand, but more off the pitch. Sometimes Murali used to bowl to left-handers without even a mid-on, but Brian would hit him through mid-wicket, through leg, through point, he would cut him, go down the track, sweep him. We bowled some good balls and he survived some close appeals, but having got through the initial stages, he would just dominate everyone. Lara dominated every single bowler on that tour. He came and joined us and Murali said to him, “Brian, every time McGrath comes around the wicket, you’re caught and you’re gone, what’s that about?” And Brian just looked at him and said, “Murali, that’s just cricket, you can’t get too worried like that, that’s just the way it is”. We were at the team hotel and Murali and I were playing snooker. I remember playing the West Indies in Sri Lanka in 2001. I don’t think McGrath’s potency bothered him, because to Lara it was all part and parcel of being a batsman, sometimes you have a weakness, and sometimes it’s exploited. Lara relaxing after scoring 375 against England in 1994 And yet even against McGrath, Lara had his moments his innings at Barbados in 1999, when he made 153 not out to take the West Indies home with a wicket to spare, is considered perhaps the greatest knock of the era. Perhaps Glenn McGrath was the only bowler to consistently cause him trouble, coming around the wicket and targeting his outside edge. He could bat in any conditions against any sort of bowling, there was not a single bowler he didn’t succeed against. He held a certain perspective for himself about the way that cricket should be played, a very personal perspective that he tried to recreate every time he went out into the middle. I think at times he may not have understood why other mere mortals could not emulate what he did, and he may have got frustrated at times, but he had a unique way of doing things. In other ways, he may not have been the easiest man to get along with for some of his teammates, and for selectors or administrators.
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He had a very free personality he had his own ideas. He ran well between wickets, he was very fit, but even on more difficult wickets he would more often than not be scoring a lot of boundaries, keeping the scoreboard ticking over and farming the strike when he felt he had the advantage. He had such an attacking mindset, his entire approach was geared towards scoring runs, and the pace at which he scored them meant that he avoided mental fatigue, because at every single opportunity he would be looking for ways to attack.
Trevor Penney told me how they put on a triple-hundred partnership during that innings and Trevor got all of 44! Almost everyone I spoke to held him in the same sort of esteem and awe. I remember hearing about him getting those consecutive hundreds for Warwickshire in 1994, culminating in that 501 not out. They recall his celebrations at the arrival of every landmark, running through the crease and punching the air. The beautiful cover driving the flourish at the top of his follow-through when he cut or made a full-swing drive. They will take on former champions Kolkata Knight Riders for a place in this season's final against Chennai Super Kings in the Qualifier 2 match in Sharjah on Wednesday.When people talk about him, they remember his style. I suppose Delhi Capital will love to see Rabada back in form," Lara said.ĭelhi Capitals had reached their maiden IPL final last season, losing the summit clash to Mumbai Indians. "And this has caused him a little bit of anxiousness. "So, yeah, when you got Anrich Nortje doing the business upfront, you want a world-class bowler who can do what he did in the previous tournaments, which he hasn't. "He played a very big part in them getting to the finals, he got a lot of wickets in the middle and back end overs with slower balls and that is not been happening for him off late," he added.Ī key bowler for Delhi Capitals alongside compatriot Anrich Nortje, Rabada has gone wicketless in the last four games.
"Yes ( his form is a concern for Delhi), he is an exceptional talent," Lara said on Star Sports' Select Dugout.
The South African pacer has so far taken 13 wickets in 14 matches, at an economy rate of more than eight. Rabada, who was the tournament's highest wicket-taker last season, has struggled to replicate the terrific form in the second leg of IPL 2021 in the UAE.