On April 18, 1994 West Indies superstar Brian Lara played one of the cricket’s most iconic knocks in cricket history and set a new benchmark after surpassing Sir Garfield Sobers’s 36-year-old world record for the highest score in a Test innings.

Lara beat his compatriot’s 365 not out, set in 1958, as he smashed 375 against England at the Antigua Recreation Ground in the fifth Test during their tour of the West Indies in 1994.

As West Indies resumed play at 502/4 on day three, Brian Lara, who was batting on 320 needed 46 runs more to break the feat. Sobers himself was in attendance at the ground and Lara showed no signs on nerves as he was in full flow against England.

During his stay at the crease, which lasted for over 12 hours, Lara hit 45 boundaries during his 538-ball knock. When he pulled Chris Lewis for a boundary to break the record, Lara was mobbed by jubilant fans after achieving the landmark. Sobers himself, later arrived at the ground to congratulate the Prince of Trinidad and Tobago.

Although West Indies drew the match despite managing to wrap the series earlier, Lara’s knock received widespread praise. He would go on to hold that record till 2003 before Matthew Hayden’s knock of 380 against Zimbabwe.

However, almost 10 years after breaking Sobers’ record, Lara would add another feather in his cap at the same ground and against the same opposition, as he became the first batsman in history to score 400 in Tests. Till date, no batsman has managed to break that record.

Watch Lara’s iconic knock of 375 against England here:

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