Back in 2003, Matthew Hayden broke Brian Lara's record of the highest individual score in Test cricket. The Aussie legend smacked 380 runs vs Zimbabwe in Perth, going past Lara's record of 375. It was the first time in more than 45 years, a non-West Indian batter held the record for the highest score in Test cricket. During his knock, he also slammed 38 fours and 11 sixes.
Lara's 375 came against England in 1994, which stood broken by Hayden. But then the West Indies legend had other plan! Facing England in 2004 in Antigua, Lara reclaimed his record, smacking an unbeaten knock of 400* runs.
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Brian Lara on his late night phone call with Matthew Hayden
Recently, Lara appeared on The Overlap Cricket YouTube show, and was asked about Hayden breaking his record in 2003. Lara revealed that he did speak to Hayden, and congratulated him.
He said, “It was at night. I was asleep in Jamaica. My agent, lawyer called me. He's in London. He said, I have a number for you to call. I said, why?”
{{/usCountry}}He said, “It was at night. I was asleep in Jamaica. My agent, lawyer called me. He's in London. He said, I have a number for you to call. I said, why?”
{{/usCountry}}“Because I think he did a lot in that day. So he might have went to sleep at one something and then he scored a couple of hundreds on that day. He said, I have a number for you to call. The private dressing room. I said, why? He said, someone just broke your record. So I called the dressing room. It was very noisy, very loud. I got to Matthew. Congratulated him. But, you know, funny enough, I felt that for that 10-year period, 9-year period, I had a lot of stress because of those two records,” he added.
Lara's 400* took West Indies to 751/5 in 202 overs, and he reached his ton off 131 balls, his double century off 260 and his triple in 404 deliveries. Six months after losing his record for the highest Test score, Lara got it back with a fine sweep of spinner Gareth Barry, which took him past Hayden's 380. He finished unbeaten on 400 off 582 balls.