And then there's Lara. Brian Charles Lara. The name itself is enough to raise the expectations and fervour of the crowd. And he didn't fail when it mattered. There are forces of nature and then there's man who is the architect of his own destiny. Lara promoted himself up the order took the onus of saving the test match unto himself and did it appreciably. Of course his cause was help by the rain and the wasted fourth day, but the way Lara batted, I don't think it would have mattered.

I didn't see the match, but I followed it on the internet all through the day willing for Lara to be out. But he was resolute. Maybe it was not the most beautiful and strokefilled inninges of his career, but I am sure it was right there at the top. Single handedly he saved the test match for West Indies. He got out only when it was almost assured that the would peter out to a draw. India simply did not have enough firepower to take the rest of the West Indies out once Lara departed.

Did they miss Harbhajan Singh? We can say yes with the benefit of hindsight, but it was Lara's day and Lara's match. There were three centurions from India and all made big hundreds in contrasting styles, but I think and I wish it would be Lara who should be the man of the match.