The Giant

I remember watching him bursting on the scene in 1994. He scored a record 375 runs in a Test innings. Gary Sobers congratulated him on the magnificent feat. Then, just a few weeks later, he smashed 501 runs in a first-class match. He surpassed the previous record of 499 which was set by Hanif Mohammad.

Though, he struggled in the past few years with the captaincy. The West Indies -- winner of the first two world cups -- were then at the bottom of the world rankings. His scores became erratic. He had no consistency. He was quickly becoming a has-been. More powerful and dependable batsmen had overshadowed him. Matthew Hayden of Australia had bludgeoned 380 runs in 2003 to surpass Lara.

But then came the innings for an age. No man has reclaimed the world record for the highest score in a Test innings. Except Brian Lara. He scored an epic 400 runs not out in a Test innings. It remains the first and only quadruple century in Test cricket history.

Recently, he added another record to his most impressive resume. Brian Lara is now the highest run-getter in Test cricket. I can only think of three other modern batsman who rank in the stratosphere: Haq, Hayden, and Tendulkar.