India pace attack unbelievable: Lara

Brian Lara paid the biggest compliment to Indian pace attack by drawing comparison between it and the famed West Indian quicks of 1980s and 1990s.

The Indian pace group of Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, Umesh Yadav among others has been making big impact both at home and away, providing a lethal edge to the Virat Kohli-led Indian side in the last one and half years or so.

“Unbelievable,” said Lara when asked about his impressions about India’s pace attack on Thursday on the sidelines of the launch of Road Safety World (T20) Series. “Jasprit Bumrah -- who isn’t playing now -- I saw him in the West Indies and I don’t know where it is coming from. I must say, what I was accustomed to in the past -- in the 1990s -- this is pretty special and exceptional.

"When you look at the quality -- Shami, Bumrah, Yadav are unbelievable. Then there are guys who are in the sidelines. It reminds me a little bit of what the West Indies had in the 1980s and 1990s. The reserve strength is very important to ascertain a team’s ability. Your reserve strength is very good. Bhuvi and all these guys are sitting on the sidelines, that means your attack has quality,” said the former Caribbean skipper.

The elegant left-hander also welcomed the commencement of World Test Championship but rued the fact that it didn’t start early. The batting great felt the championship lends both meaning and context to Tests.

“Yes, I think so (it should have started earlier),” he said. “For someone, who has played for 16-17 years and who has played over 100 Tests, you felt that it became monotonous. You just keep travelling and cracking up the numbers, you win or lose a series, it mattered. In terms of Test Championship, where there is an end, it culminates into a team becoming Champion, that is something that should have happened a long time ago and I am happy to see it now. Even if you play against minnows – Afghanisthan, Bangladesh – it means something, and I feel it will create more excitement with spectators knowing that this is not another series and leads to something. Credit must be given to ICC for introducing this was important, though a little late.”