[In Pictures] Warwickshire Cricket recreates Brian Lara's iconic 501* world record moment from 1994
Brian Charles Lara remains a name symbolic with most individual batting records in red-ball cricket. Warwickshire Cricket honored the West Indian legend by recreating the iconic image after his record first-class score of 501* 30 years back.
Playing for his English County side Warwickshire, Lara thrilled the Edgbaston crowd with an incredible 501* off 427 deliveries against Durham in June 1994. The knock included 62 boundaries and 10 maximums, breaking the previous first-class record of 499 by Pakistan's Hanif Mohammad.
His 501* remains the highest first-class score to date and Lara posed in front of the scoreboard that read a team score of 810 with his individual score. 30 years later, the same image was recreated with a 55-year-old Lara posing in front of the scoreboard.
Here are the pictures of the two from 1994 and the present shared by Warwickshire's Instagram handle:
Warwickshire's first innings score of 810/4 declared was in response to a massive 556/8 by Durham in their first essay as the game eventually ended in a draw.
Apart from the highest first-class score, Lara also boasts the highest score in Test history with 400* against England at Antigua in 2004.
The champion batter finished his illustrious career with over 22,000 first-class runs, including 65 centuries and 88 half-centuries in 261 matches.
"Shubman Gill can break both my records" - Brian Lara
Brian Lara feels India's young sensation Shubman Gill could be the batter in this generation that could beat his world record scores of 400* and 501*.
The 24-year-old has scored an ODI double-century and a T20I ton in his brief career, demonstrating a hunger for big runs.
In an interview for Anandabazar Patrika late last year, Lara said:
"Shubman Gill can break both my records. Gill is the most talented batter in this new generation. He will rule cricket in the coming years. I believe he will go on to break many big records. He (Gill) can do it (break my records)."
He added:
"If Gill plays County cricket then he can break my 501*. In Test cricket, he can surely go past 400. Cricket has changed a lot, especially batting. Batters play t20 leagues across the globe. IPL has changed everything. The scoring rate has gone up. So you will keep seeing big scores. Shubman will score big, mark my words."
Despite playing a few promising knocks, Gill has struggled thus far in Tests, averaging only 35.52 in 25 outings. While he has four Test centuries to his name, his highest score is only 128.