Australia v West Indies 2023/24

Watch: 54-year-old Brian Lara crunches vintage cover drives off 90 mph balls in Adelaide nets

by Wisden Staff January 18, 2024 - 6:56am 2 minute read

Watch: Brian Lara gave a batting masterclass in the indoor nets at the Adelaide Oval during day two of the first AUS vs WI Test today (January 18).

On the sidelines of the ongoing Test match between Australia and West Indies, Brian Lara provided a masterclass of how to bat against the Australian fast-bowling trio of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc.

Batting in the indoor nets in a session designed to replicate the Australian fast bowlers, Lara cracked drives and flicks with ease despite balls being bowled at speeds of 90 miles per hour.

“What I do a little bit of is premeditate,” Lara said when asked about how difficult it is to drive balls being bowled at such high speed. “So I would premeditate the next delivery, what I think he is going to deliver. If he doesn’t, it doesn’t mean that I am going to play a drive to a short ball. I’ll just adjust myself.

“But if I am reading the bowler, reading what he is coming with, I am doing a bit of premeditating. So if that half volley comes at 90 miles an hour, I am still getting into position quickly.”

Lara emphasised the importance of out-thinking the bowler: “I think it’s a mental war, and you can tell what a guy’s going to do with the ball in his hand. If there’s a Brett Lee bowling, you know there’s going to be a couple of short balls. He’s going to come searching for gold. So I think it’s that mental battle and understanding and trying to predict what he’s thinking of, is important to me.

“I find it very difficult to just play each ball in it’s merit. You will eventually do that, but I think when you’re playing against world-class bowlers, a Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, you tend to know what these guys are trying to do to set you up.”