The older era folks seem to be in awe of Viv's test batting as well, something I found to be a bit over rated on scrutiny.
What are the game changing knocks against great bowlers (game changing not 'match winning', there is a difference) he has played in tests and how do they compare with Lara's?
Viv could go all guns blazing because he knew his team was so good, they would
stand a solid chance win with him getting out for a nought. I remember a couple of series in England and Australia where WI won the series with Viv failing in every inning in 'alive' tests.
Lara's faced a lot more pressure and delivered , although his overseas performances were not the best.
Lara between 1992-1997 in ODIs faced better ODI bowlers than Viv did and came out on top, and was better than Sachin in that time frame.
Overall I think it's a difficult choice, how would have Viv fared in a minnow level WI team knowing it's him or bust ? And how freely would Lara score in a team of world beaters with the freedom to bat the way he wanted ? Viv's record looks better , but he didn't face nearly the pressure that Lara did.
Rather silly comment. A cursory look at Viv's career disproves the claim he didn't perform in live matches.
West Indies' first ever series win in Australia was
1979-80 when Viv averaged
96. He scores 140 at the Gabba against Lillee and Thomson in the drawn 1st Test, a statement innings that they wouldn't be rolled over like 1975-76. He makes 96, 76 and 74 in the victorious 2nd and 3rd Tests. He was batting in ODI mode (SR 70) long before "Bazball" was conceived.
WI were 1-0 down in the following tour in
1981-82 going into the final Test where scored 50 in a chase of 236 helping to square the series. In
1988-89 as his reflexes began declining, he still averaged 55 (and still struck at 70 !) including a brilliant 146 (150) at the WACA.
On the
1980-81 tour of Pakistan, Viv averaged
72 on slow, stopping pitches with nobody on either side averaging above 35 except Wasim Raja.
He tours India in his debut series in
1974-75, and cracks 192 in his second Test against Bedi, Prasanna and Venkat. WI won by an innings. That wasn't the great WI team of later. In 1987-88, he scores 109 (111) to chase 276 in 1st Test in Delhi.
I don't which tours of England you saw where Viv only scored in dead rubbers. He pummels England in 1976. He scored 117 against Willis and Botham in 1st Test of 1984 Blackwash series. Scores 72 at Lord's in the 2nd inns. On his last tour in
1991, he still contributed with important runs, topscoring with 80 in 3rd Test to help level the series, and topscoring again with 73 in 4th Test chase after WI were 24-3.
The man was one of the rocks on which WI dominance was built on, and everyone saw what happened once he left. Brian Lara was a world-class batsman, maybe a slightly better player of spin, but also a world-class diva who
failed to continue one of the greatest sporting legacies. He caused fissures, undermined captains and coaches, cried that their famed physio Dennis Waight was overtraining them, and failed more often than not against the best bowler of his generation Glenn McGrath - with 1999 being the exception. His two famed innings against England were on the flattest pitches in history at the old Antigua Recreation Ground, and were glorified statpadding exercises.
He had a weaker team but not a terrible one. Ambrose continued until 2000, Walsh retired in 2001. Gayle, Sarwan and Chanderpaul emerged as top batsmen. He wasn't on his own, and that team shouldn't have plunged the depths it did.
