Australian opening batsman Matthew Hayden on Tuesday praised West Indies skipper Brian Lara for taking the world Test record score to a new level.
In a 13-hour batting marathon against England on Antigua, Lara broke Hayden’s world-record individual Test score of 380 and went on to raise an unbeaten 400 before the West Indies declared their first innings in the fourth Test on Monday.
Hayden’s 380 against Zimbabwe in Perth last October had surpassed Lara’s own 10-year-old record of 375 runs.
”I sort of had the expectation that he was going to break the record — he really had it in his sights,” Hayden said in Melbourne on Tuesday.
”And I think he’s that kind of player as well who has incredible skill and ability to be able to bat a long period of time. He’s truly taken it to a new level.”
Hayden was quick to phone Lara and congratulate him after his peerless 400.
”I spoke to him this morning and [he said] it was a really fun experience and similar to the one we had in Perth,” Hayden said.
”It was really noisy — Antigua’s a venue that basically turns into a hip-hop stage and you can imagine walking through the dressing room cutting a swathe of cigar smoke as all these guys are dancing around.
”They were having a lot of fun and so they should. It’s a tremendous event and marks a record-breaking performance … something which no one has ever done before.”
Hayden said he was mildly disappointed about losing the record but had enjoyed his time — albeit relatively brief — as cricket’s greatest run-maker.
”I guess you feel a little bit disappointed but at the same time I’ve enjoyed an incredible wave of euphoria for the better part of six months. It’s been a lot of fun.”
Hayden said that while ”the gauntlet’s there”, he does not expect to set a new world record again.
”I had no real expectations to break the record and nothing’s really changed for me.
”I hadn’t really had any expectations, firstly to get it and even to hold it, I had nothing in mind.” — Sapa-AFP