Brian Lara, the legendary batsman from the West Indies, boasts two batting records that are widely considered to be incredibly difficult, if not impossible, to surpass.
Brian Lara, the renowned West Indies batsman, made his place in cricket history by setting two seemingly untouchable records in the world of batting. Playing for the West Indies from 1989 until 2007, Lara achieved the highest individual scores in both test and first-class cricket.
In 2004, Lara created an unbroken 400* against England in a test match, and a decade earlier, in 1994, he put up an incredible 501* when playing for Warwickshire against Durham in a county championship match. These records have endured the test of time, with no batsman even approaching their brilliance given the dynamics of red-ball cricket.
Interestingly, the cricketing hero has chosen to give the mantle to India’s rising star, Shubman Gill, stating his opinion that Gill has the ability to surpass both of Lara’s long-standing records.
“Shubman Gill can break both my records. Gill is the most talented batter in this new generation. He will rule cricket in the coming years. I believe he will go on to break many big records,” Lara told Anandabazar Patrika.
“He (Gill) can do it (break my records),” Lara said again.
Gill’s ODI journey has been nothing short of spectacular, marked by a blazing commencement. He achieved the remarkable feat of amassing 2000 runs in just 38 innings, making him the quickest batter to reach this milestone in 50-over cricket. This right-handed dynamo has already notched up an impressive six centuries, boasting an outstanding average of 61.37 in the format. What’s more, he even notched up a double-century in ODIs, solidifying his position at the summit of the ICC ODI rankings.
Shubman Gill, who holds the title of being the youngest Indian to achieve a century in all formats and the quickest to notch up an ODI double century, hasn’t had the most seamless beginning to his test cricket journey. In 18 matches, he has accumulated 966 runs, maintaining an average of 32, and has managed to secure just one century.
“Gill didn’t score a century (in the World Cup) but look a the knocks he has already played. He has centuries in all formats, has smashed a double hundred in ODIs and has also played many match-winnings in the IPL. I’m sure he will many ICC tournaments in the future,” Lara said.
“The way he bats is superb. I have immense belief in him. Have you seen how he charges down the track to hit the seamers down the ground? Unbelievable. If Gill plays County cricket then he can break my 501*. In Test cricket, he can surely go past 400. Cricket has changed a lot, especially batting. Batters play t20 leagues across the globe. IPL has changed everything. The scoring rate has gone up. So you will keep seeing big scores. Shubman will score big, mark my words,” Lara added.
Shubman Gill is gearing up for his upcoming test in South Africa, as he finds himself included in both the T20I and test squads for the tour.
