West Indies great Brian Lara and Indian legend Anil Kumble relived their cricketing days at the National Cricket Academy premises on Thursday. Lara’s visit down south was a trip down memory lane for Kumble. Kumble recalled the true sportsmanship of Lara during the 1994 West Indies’ tour of India.
In the the third and final Test, which West Indies won to restore parity, Lara showed what true sportsmanship is. “Batting at 91, Lara had a thin nick that landed in wicketkeeper Nayan Mongia’s gloves. Interestingly no Indian player near the wicket were aware of the incident. But before the players and the umpire could realise, Lara had started walking towards the pavilion,” Kumble said.
The spin legend has greatest respect for Lara. “Brian Lara is the true legend of the game. It is a great opportunity for the young cricketers to learn from Lara. I know Lara for not just scoring 400 in the Test but also a cricketer, who has scored 500 odd runs in an innings in the first class cricket,” he said.
Who can forget Anil Kumbe’s broken jaw incident at the Antingua Test of 2002? Kumble bowled 14 consecutive overs and became the first bowler to dismiss Brian Lara while bowling with a broken jaw. And those memories are still fresh in Lara’s mind. “Yeah, I remember. Not only that moment, throughout his career Kumble has been a great servant of Indian cricket. He is very very committed. Throughout his career he was outstanding. He was a big fighter with the ball and the bat,” Lara said. Lara recalled his first visit to India in 1984 as a 14-year-old, representing his school. “I travelled to India for the first time in 1984, representing my Trinidad and Tobago School team. And now I travel to India more than to any other country.”
