However, McGrath stated that both the batsmen were ‘equally good’ but it was Lara’s consistency against Australia that tilted the balance in favour of him.
Former West Indies player Brian Lara (L) and former Indian player Sachin Tendulkar (R) watch the action during a celebrity cricket match to raise funds for people affected by the Australian bushfires, in Melbourne on February 9, 2020. (Photo by WILLIAM WEST / AFP)
In a recent development, legendary Aussie seamer Glenn McGrath has picked Brian Lara as the tougher opponent to bowl to over Sachin Tendulkar. McGrath hailed Lara’s ability to score big consistently especially against Australia and hence picked him as the tougher opponent to bowl to.
However, McGrath stated that both the batsmen were ‘equally good’ but it was Lara’s consistency against Australia that tilted the balance in favour of him.
“That was Brian (Lara). He never changed his game,” McGrath was quoted as saying by The Times of India.
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“I may have got him out 15 times, but he also scored big hundreds and double hundreds against us when both me and Warnie (Shane Warne) were playing together for Australia,” he added.
“When it was his day, he could do absolutely anything. Sachin was equally as good, but there was something about Brian where he could just keep going and he was slightly harder to bowl to than Sachin. He was more fearless,” he further stated.
McGrath also backed Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah to come good in the final test match and dust off the lean patch that he has been going through post recovering from an injury which kept him out of the game.
“India have got a quality batting and bowling attack. (Jasprit) Bumrah, I am a big fan of him at Test level. He has been amazing at the shorter versions of the game too. I was surprised to see him so far down the order in the rankings, he has been injured a little bit of late,” McGrath told reporters in Mumbai as quoted by Hindustan Times.
“Bumrah is unique. The way he goes about it—short run-up, powers through the crease, can swing the ball, good control and good pace—(even in) second or third spell. I do not have any issues with Bumrah. He is coming back from injury. Sometimes it takes a little while for you to get back in,” he added.
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