Another record for Lara

Following his heroics of the opening day when an unbeaten 202 lifted the Caribbean side to 352 for seven, Lara reached 226 before falling to old nemesis Glenn McGrath as the visitors were eventually dismissed for 405 half- hour before lunch.

On a pitch living up to its reputation as a batting paradise, the hosts then made a strong reply with Langer leading the charge on his return to the team before being undone by a lifting delivery from Fidel Edwards that he gloved to wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin in the final over of the day.

Australia were to resume on the third morning today (last nightCaribbean time) at 229 for three with relative newcomers Brad Hodge and Mike Hussey seeking to build on the solid foundation laid by Australia’s first three batsmen in the batting order.

Yet everything else on the day was overshadowed by the events of the first half-hour, with the majority of the spectators already in the ground by the time the first ball was bowled in cool, heavily overcast conditions.

They had come in early in anticipation of Lara getting the 12 runs he needed to surpass former Australian captain and fellow left-hander Allan Border as the highest run-scorer in the history of Test cricket.

The champion left-hander did not disappoint, paddling a delivery from McGrath for a single to fine-leg to lift his tally of Test runs to 11,187, prompting another standing ovation from fans, who had delighted in his eventual domination of the Australian bowlers on the opening day.

In reaching the landmark in his 121st Test match — 37 less than it took Border to reach his aggregate of 11,174 before he retired in 1994 — Lara had placed his name at the top of yet another coveted list in the game’s records.

He was eventually bowled by McGrath, losing his leg stump in backing away to try and score through the off-side to keep the strike for another over.

The thunderous ovation that greeted his walk back to the players’ enclosure after an innings that occupied 6-3/4 hours and included 22 fours off 298 balls was a testament to the fans’ appreciation of the left-handed maestro’s genius and undiminished appetite for big scores.

Almost 15 years since he made his Test debut in Pakistan, Lara had scaled yet another dizzying summit and stands alone with records for the most career runs, the highest Test score (reclaimed with 400 not out after earlier holding the record at 375), and the highest First-Class score (501 not out).

Border, who was not present to see his record being eclipsed, was magnanimous in his appreciation of the former West Indies captain, stating in an interview that he could never compare with Lara in quality of batsmanship.

Lara’s dismissal ended a 48-run, eighth-wicket partnership with Daren Powell, who was unlucky to be adjudged leg before wicket to McGrath for 14 just seven runs later.

The last-wicket pair of Fidel Edwards and Corey Collymore offered unexpected resistance however, in adding a further 17 runs with Edwards drawing gasps of astonishment when he played a textbook on-drive for four off McGrath.

He eventually fell to Shane Warne, edging a flick to leg to Matthew Hayden at slip to give the leg-spinner his only wicket of the innings.

Hayden and Langer then cashed-in on wayward opening spells from Edwards and Powell, while Hayden benefited from the low standards of catching that the West Indies have set in this series.

Having pulled Edwards for four to get off the mark in the first over of the innings, the big left-hander drove at the next delivery and Ramnaresh Sarwan was slow to react at second slip as the ball sped past him low to his left to the third-man boundary.

Edwards was hammered for 36 runs off three overs, eventually finishing with one for 63 off ten overs in the day, and further blotting his report card with ten no-balls.

Hayden, who had scored hundreds in the first two Tests in Brisbane and Hobart, was missed again on 23 by a diving Wavell Hinds at short mid wicket off Powell, and the opening pair had plundered 97 off just 16 overs, when Dwayne Bravo finally made the breakthrough.

Hayden, on 47, drove at a slower delivery and captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul taking the catch low at cover.

Bravo brought more discipline to the West Indies bowling effort, along with Collymore, although Langer, who had missed the first two Tests with a cracked rib, and Ricky Ponting were generally untroubled in a sedate 114-run, second-wicket stand.

The game moved along quietly in the final period until Chanderpaul summoned Bravo for a second spell, and the all-rounder earned the scalp of Ponting for 56 via an LBW decision, when the Australia captain attempted to pull a delivery that did not make the height he anticipated.

By then Langer, after the initial flurry of runs, was inching his way towards a 23rd Test century.

In an attempt to exert as much pressure as possible on the opener, Chanderpaul brought in the field, and summoned Edwards for the final over.

Langer then called for a forearm guard, and off the very next delivery, touched an attempted hook through to Ramdin before looking up to see Pakistani umpire Aleem Dar confirming his dismissal after 4-1/2 hours at the crease in which he struck ten fours off 174 balls.

It was a timely lift for the West Indies, but they need a much more disciplined and consistent effort on the third day to have any chance of earning a first innings lead over the Australians, who have already made clear their determination to complete a clean sweep of the three-match series.

Australia lead the three-Test series 2-0, after winning the opening Test at Brisbane by 379 runs, and the Second Test at Hobart by nine wickets.

The Australians have already regained the Frank Worrell Trophy, symbol of supremacy between the two teams.