Former West Indies captain Brian Lara believes the Indian cricket team, under Virat Kohli, is capable of winning all ICC tournaments. The 50-year-old icon was of the view that every international side sort of targets India in ICC tournaments.
“I think they are definitely capable of winning all tournaments that they play. I think what Virat Kohli and company and the Indian team has to appreciate is the fact that everybody sort of targets India,” Lara was quoted as saying.
“Everybody knows that at some point of time one team is going to play that important match against India…. If it’s a quarter final, semi-final and final.”
Under Kohli’s leadership, India has reached great heights in both Tests and ODIs but has so far failed to win an ICC tournament, fizzling out in crucial games.
Team India last won an ICC event in 2013 when the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side lifted the ICC Champions Trophy in the United Kingdom. Since then they have lost the 2015 ICC World Cup semi-final and the 2016 ICC World T20 semi-final under Dhoni’s leadership.
After Kohli took charge, India lost the 2017 Champions Trophy final and the 2019 ICC World Cup semi-final.
Regarded as one of the finest batsmen that world cricket has ever produced, Lara’s 15-year-old record of 400 not out against England is still the highest individual score in Test cricket.
However, Lara feels Kohli, David Warner and Rohit Sharma have the potential to break his record.
“It would be difficult for Steve Smith to do it batting at No.4 for Australia. He is a great player but he doesn’t dominate. You know a player like David Warner for sure,” Lara said. “A player like Virat Kohli, who gets in early and gets set. He is a very attacking player. Rohit Sharma on his day. So they have got quite a group of players who can do so.”
Warner recently caught up with Lara in Adelaide, days after the Test series win over Pakistan.
Warner took to social media to post a photograph of himself with Lara. Warner said he is hoping he would get another chance to break Lara’s record for the highest Test score once again.
“Great to catch up with the legend himself. Maybe one day I will get another chance to Knock 400 off,” Warner tweeted.
A lot has been said about Australia captain Tim Paine’s decision to declare Australia’s innings on 589/3 when David Warner was batting on 335, 65 short of Lara’s world record score.
Lara said after the Test that he was anticipating Warner to race towards his score but understood the logic behind Australia’s decision to declare. “I was hoping they might catch me and get me (out) there and that was one of the reasons I was hoping they might have let him go for it,” Lara told News Corp.
“It would have been amazing to walk out there (as Sobers did). Records are made to be broken. It’s great when they are broken by attacking players. Entertainers. Being in Adelaide I would have got an opportunity to if not walk out at least meet him at this opportune time.
“After passing Sir Donald Bradman, I would have loved to see him race towards me. I was getting dressed to come back near the end of his innings. I was listening to commentators say whether he would have a go at Matthew Hayden’s 380 but I felt if he got to 381 he would have to have a go at my record.”
India's captain Virat Kohli File picture
