BOWLED over by 400
Trinidad Express
April 13, 2004
Ian Bishop
-Former WI and Trinidad and Tobago teammate, TV commentator
"I don't think anyone could conceptualise that (someone scoring 400). No one at 34 could ever conceptualise doing it. But I think Brian Lara has just shown he is definitely the greatest batsman of this era by dint of his talent, but more so his mental strength and concentration.
"When you take into consideration what transpired up to this innings-his poor form, the burden of the team, three-nil down in the series-and to come up with an innings of this nature, because certainly, it took more than physical fitness to go through this, to bat for two days and a half...It's just a monumental innings. It's just surreal."
Michael Holding
-Former WI pacer, TV commentator
"I never, ever expected to see someone get that many runs. I know the Australians score their runs quickly and there's always the possibility of an Australian getting a very big score. And we saw that with Matthew Hayden. But I never really expected to see a batsman get 400 runs.
"And, to add to that, I never really expected to see a batsman get 400 runs. And I'll have to add to that I never expected Lara himself to go back and break Matthew Hayden's record. I know batting for that length of time is a young man's game. And Brian Lara at 34 just shows you how much he had to concentrate, how much he had to work hard.
"Everyone will say it's a nice, flat bating pitch, and we all agree to that. But put 25 batsmen out there under the same circumstances, and only one of the 25 would get 400 and that is Lara.
"In 1994, when he got 375, I think he dominated the attack a lot more than he dominated this attack, but then again, it was a much worse attack...
"You could say that one was more entertaining, but I think this is more valuable..."
Christopher Martin-Jenkins
-English commentator and writer
Ranks innings among best of those he has witnessed:
"Very high indeed. It ranks equal with the 375 which I think I'd still put top of the list because it was the first time and he was a young pioneer, and now he is a mature elder statesman... Really, they were as memorable as each other.
"I don't think it's got to the stage yet where his age is any handicap to him. It's actually an advantage to him because he's now using his experience brilliantly.
"In a way, it's a great triumph of character for him. After all that's happened in this series-bowled out for 47, bowled out for 94-and it took physical and mental courage I think to get over the barrier, because he was disturbed by the England fast bowlers, Harmison in particular. And on a slower pitch here, he's just mastered them...
"It just puts him one notch higher up the ladder (of great players). Now there's absolutely no question that he's one of the greatest batsmen of all time. And I think in this region, he's what Don Bradman was in his time to Australia.
"He's bigger than just a great cricketer. He's one of the great men of the West Indies."
Angus Fraser
-Ex-England seamer, cricket correspondent for The Independent
"It was such a remarkable achievement in the first place to score 375 and to watch the way he went about it...
"It wasn't because you didn't believe he was good enough, but you just felt that if he got in a similar position again, he would almost try and get there quicker, and by trying to get there quicker, he would make a mistake and that would lead to his downfall. But to show the patience and discipline that's required to do it for a second time makes it an even better innings...
"This bloke is a magnificent player, and there's no disgrace in being second best to him when he plays like that...
"There's never been any doubt in my mind who is the better player (between Lara and Sachin Tendulkar), and that's Lara because he plays a more significant innings, he plays the bigger innings.
"Tendulkar is a magnificent player to watch, but there's no better sight in the world than Lara in full flow. There's no harder batsman to bowl at when he is in full flow."
-Compiled by Garth Wattley