Hard work starts now for India, says Lara

Hard work starts now for India, says Lara

Brian Lara
New Delhi: India’s performance in recent times has been creditable but the real challenge will now be to maintain their consistency, says Brian Lara.

The West Indies star also lauded the leadership skills of Anil Kumble and Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

He said the defeat of Australia in their own backyard was remarkable but India would have to prepare for a backlash from the world champions.

“It’s really good that India beat Australia in Australia despite having a new captain leading in Tests and one-dayers. But Australia is going to come back stronger and look for revenge. The hard work is going to start now,” Lara said.

“Anil and Dhoni have done well but they will have to be on their guard and not be satisfied with the one-day tri-series win. They have to maintain the consistency,” he said on the sidelines of a promotional.

India defeated Australia 2-0 in the recently concluded best-of-three tri-series finals, ending their ill-tempered tour Down Under on a positive note.

On Sachin Tendulkar’s performance in the two finals, Lara said there was never any doubt about the master batsman’s calibre and that former Australian coach John Buchanan’s remarks before the series began had probably provoked the Indian.

“I have said it many times that he is a great player. I don’t want to repeat it. But Buchanan made a mistake by lighting up fire under Sachin before the start of the series,” he said.

Buchanan had said that Tendulkar would find it difficult to handle the short-pitched deliveries by the Australian fast bowlers.

On Twenty20 cricket, Lara said this version of the game had potential to grow into something bigger because it gave the players more options to play and earn.

“… Twenty20 is interesting… I am happy that I have been considered…,” said Lara, who announced his retirement from international cricket after failing to lead the West Indies to a World Cup win at home last year.

“It (Twenty20) brings a different kind of crowd to the ground. I don’t see any problem with it. It can evolve into something bigger,” he said.

He sees a great future for the Indian Premier League and Indian Cricket League, saying the competitions would increase options for players to play and earn more.

“The situation is unavoidable. People need to wake up to the fact that there are options for players unlike in the past,” he said.

Lara was saddened by the fact that some cricketers playing in the ICL were being shunned by their national boards. “They (the boards) have got to get their act together… You cannot blame a cricketer if he gets the chance to play in either the IPL or ICL.

“Corporates now own teams in the IPL. Certainly that has created more options and an individual can choose where he wants to play and earn good money,” Lara said.

“Look at football, there are several leagues around the world. One player may be playing for one club, next time he may be playing for another club and there is no stigma. Nobody is bothered about who plays where,” he said.

Lara, captain of the Mumbai Champs in the ICL, admitted that he had a miserable stint in the inaugural event. He scored 16 runs in four matches and faced 24 balls. They won the fifth match but Lara did not bat. “I didn’t have good outing, I was injured but since I had made a commitment I had to honour it,” he said

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