The match ended with England 422/5 in their second innings after being dismissed for 285 in their first, still 44 runs adrift of the West Indies’ first innings score. This means the West Indies ran out of time – a commodity they would have had more of had they managed their declaration better. It could be that the West Indies would not have managed victory on such a flat surface against such a competent team. But the point is that an earlier declaration would have given the West Indies bowlers a greater opportunity to try.

On the third morning the West Indies resumed on 595/5, Lara 313*. The 87 runs that took him to his milestone ate up a further 156 deliveries, a reasonable rate of scoring under normal circumstances, but inadequate when racing against time to set a big total on a flat pitch. Lara’s scoring rate appears to indicate that his priority was regaining the record rather than giving his side the best chance of winning.

https://garfieldrobinson1.substack.com/p/was-brian-lara-right-to-chase-400

@spider wrote:

https://garfieldrobinson1.substack.com/p/was-brian-lara-right-to-chase-400

And thank god for that record for giving a fogotten game among hundreds of others some significance..take 400 in allyuh waist, I see after so many years it's still hard to digest, So it's well worth it ! Hypocrites would say he shouldn't have gone for it, history will never forget it like it has soooo many other insignificant games and 100's.. LARA LARA LARA LARA !!! 400 N.O, 501 N.0 !!

The only man to reach those heights ! Well worth the detractors' indigestion discomfort and conflict after all these years, so much so they're still talking about it, well worth it , that's some long term suffering right there !! Lovely..

@bravos wrote:

And thank god for that record for giving a fogotten game among hundreds of others some significance..take 400 in allyuh waist, I see after so many years it's still hard to digest, So it's well worth it ! Hypocrites would say he shouldn't have gone for it, history will never forget it like it has soooo many other insignificant games and 100's.. LARA LARA LARA LARA !!! 400 N.O, 501 N.0 !!

The only man to reach those heights ! Well worth the detractors' indigestion discomfort and conflict after all these years, so much so they're still talking about it, well worth it , that's some long term suffering right there !! Lovely..

Only hypocrites will say that?

So nobody genuinely thinks he should have declared before he reached 400 and given his side more time to try and win?

@spider wrote:

https://garfieldrobinson1.substack.com/p/was-brian-lara-right-to-chase-400

everyo has an opinion. The great Australian captain Ian Chappell thought differently

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2168689470597009&vanity=carib375400&http_ref=eyJ0cyI6MTc4ODcyNzgwNjAwMCwiciI6Imh0dHBzOlwvXC93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbVwvIn0%3D

@spider wrote:

Only hypocrites will say that?

So nobody genuinely thinks he should have declared before he reached 400 and given his side more time to try and win?

Certainly not…

Look, the most important thing, the thing that left the greatest legacy in that series is what? What was the news from the second test? The first?

there is thinking for today and there is thinking for legend

@Halliwell wrote:

Certainly not…

Look, the most important thing, the thing that left the greatest legacy in that series is what? What was the news from the second test? The first?

there is thinking for today and there is thinking for legend

People conveniently forget that the WI was facing a 4-0 whitewash in that series, that too against no one else than England. So avoiding said whitewash was the first order of business

@Jumpstart wrote:

People conveniently forget that the WI was facing a 4-0 whitewash in that series, that too against no one else than England. So avoiding said whitewash was the first order of business

So I don't think the West Indies were in any danger of losing the game, not with a score of 600 or more on first innings. My argument is that his first consideration should have been to try and win the game for his team rather than try to regain the record. It seemed that he went for the record first and by doing that he compromised his team's chances of winning the game.

Now, many people seem to think the record was more important than winning. I disagree, especially since he was the captain.

@spider wrote:

So I don't think the West Indies were in any danger of losing the game, not with a score of 600 or more on first innings. My argument is that his first consideration should have been to try and win the game for his team rather than try to regain the record. It seemed that he went for the record first and by doing that he compromised his team's chances of winning the game.

Now, many people seem to think the record was more important than winning. I disagree, especially since he was the captain.

Who compromised the team’s chances of winning the first three Tests?