I was just going through a few highlights on the official YouTube channel of Lord’s cricket ground and a tiny, young bloke caught my eye. It was West Indies’ tour of England 2012. The young right-hander oozed class by creaming Stuart broad and James Anderson through the covers. He also held the pose beautifully for a second after playing one or two drives. Then it struck me, this is that lad who dominated Aussie bowlers on their own backyard once!
Adrian Bharat’s ton at the Gabba more than a mere knock. It was the creation of history after almost 8 decades. 104 of 138 deliveries at the Gabba comprising of 19 boundaries. That too against a pace attack which consisted of the fiery Mitchell Johnson. Even though the Caribbeans endured a humiliating defeat this single knock of Bharat was one to remember for ages with the lad scoring 70% of the team’s runs.
Bharat was a treat to watch, as he relied more on timing and preferred the ball coming into him. Look at his batting stance in the video: a level head and bat pointing towards the wicket keeper. He often greeted loose deliveries with strong wrists, which made him dominant on the square of the wicket.
Barath’s career begun with him capturing the attention of the legendary Brian Lara in a nets session at Queens Park Oval. Thereafter, he went onto piling up runs in age group cricket, scoring an iconic ton at the Gabba and hanging up his boots abruptly at the age of 22 to become a Jehovah’s witness. The young sensation had all the potential to be a mainstay of the West Indies top order, but his chapter ended but much different than how it started. Regardless of his circumstances, Barat was too good of a player to halt his career like that.
