Brian Lara’s 153 not out against Australia at Bridgetown in 1999 is considered to date by many as the greatest fourth innings batting effort. The West Indies legend played a number of iconic knocks in his career but that innings on March 30, 1999, against arguably the strongest bowling attack the game of cricket has ever seen, will surely stand the test of time.

Australia toured West Indies in 1999 to play four Tests and seven One-Day Internationals. The Tests were played first and the hosts went into the series under a lot of pressure. They had just been handed a 5-0 drubbing at home by South Africa and captain Lara was desperate to rally his team forward.

What made matters worse for the Windies was Australia’s 312-run victory in the first Test. With his back to the wall, Lara scored a masterful double-century in the second Test to help his side level the series. But the best was yet to come.

In the third Test at Bridgetown, Australia batted first and posted a mammoth total of 490 thanks to skipper Steve Waugh’s 199 and Ricky Ponting’s 101. Opener Sherwin Campbell worked his way to a century to help West Indies post 329 but the visitors managed to get a healthy first innings lead.

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In their second innings, though, Australia suffered a dramatic collapse as Courtney Walsh picked a five-wicket haul to bowl them out for just 146. Set a target of 308, the hosts found themselves in a deep hole at 105/5. And that’s when Lara decided to pull off something truly special.

Against an attack that comprised Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie, Shane Warne and Stuart MacGill, the West Indies No 5 batsman went on to play a knock for the ages. Lara hit 19 fours and a six to single-handedly power his team to victory.

While the strokeplay was majestic, what was just as impressive about Lara’s performance was the way he farmed the strike through his innings. The six batsmen who came out to bat after him scored a total of 61 runs, with Lara choosing his shots and picking the gaps to perfection.

What makes this knock even more memorable is the manner in which the match ended. Australia reduced West Indies to 302/9 and Walsh – far from famous for his skills with the bat – was the last batsman in. The fast-bowler managed to block out five deliveries and Lara finished off the game with a crunching cover-drive off Gillespie for four. He had added 63 runs with Curtly Ambrose and Walsh – West Indies’ No 10 and 11 – to help his team to an unforgettable victory.

Watch highlights of the epic knock here:

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