Lara: I'm almost there

The most exciting batsman in world cricket says the best birthday gift he could have would be a series-levelling victory over India in the forthcoming third Test.

Brian Lara told NATIONSPORT he was still not fully recovered from the elbow injury sustained from the collision with Sri Lanka's Marvan Atapattu last year, but remained committed as ever to the West Indies' effort.

There is nothing more I would love than a hundred this week, but I am not fully there yet. I am now getting gradually back into the game, I am looking to peak soon, but it is going to take some time.

Hopefully, my contribution to this match, whether it is a hundred, whatever it is, is going to bring success to the team, he said.

India, without a series win outside the sub-continent since 1986, lead the five-Test series 1-0 going in to Thursday's third Test here at Kensington Oval where they have had six defeats in seven matches. Lara, scorer of 18 Test hundreds including the world record 375, celebrates his 33rd birthday on Thursday.

Lara, the only world-class player in the West Indies team, thinks his side has learned the lessons from the 37-run loss at the Queen's Park Oval and are ready to hit back in Barbados where they have endured just two defeats since World War II.

Hopefully, five days after my birthday we will be celebrating a win, that is most important. I think, it will be nice to win a Test match, I will be turning 33, and levelling the series is where it is at for us right now. It is going to be a very crucial match.

It can turn the series our way and if things don't go our way, India could be in full command, so I am looking forward to the game. I think we have assessed what went wrong in Trinidad and know what we have to do to square the series here, he said.

Lara was greeted warmly by Barbadians on Sunday night when he attended the unveiling of the life-size replica of superstar allrounder and National Hero Sir Garfield Sobers.

The Barbados Government has done a great job in recognising Sir Garry. The people of Barbados have a son they can be proud of.

It was a very special occasion and the words of Sir Garry have given me added inspiration for this series with India. We sit down here, and we talk about scoring centuries and winning matches, but we have got to give due to Sir Garry, a very simple man who played the game with the class and hallmark of a champion, and at the end of the day, greatness was bestowed upon him, the champion left-hander added.