Brian Lara: Indian cricket ‘at a very high point’; Virat Kohli-led team ‘exceptional’

Mumbai: West Indies batting legend Brian Lara heaped praise on the Indian team led by Virat Kohli and also lauded the country’s fast bowlers.

At the launch of a new Twenty20 tournament in Mumbai on Thursday (October 17), Lara said Indian cricket is “at a very high point”.

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“The Indian outfit — batting, bowling and fielding — is exceptional. I thought their fast bowlers were sometimes unplayable (versus the West Indies). So starting with that you've got to give India credit with where their cricket is, they're at a very high point,” Lara said at the launch of Road Safety World Series.

Talking about the Indian pacemen’s performances in the recently concluded Test rubber in the West Indies which the Kohli-led outfit won with a 2-0 clean sweep, Lara described the fast bowlers as “unbelievable”.

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"Unbelievable. I saw them in the West Indies and I must say what I was accustomed to in the past, in the '90s and early part of the 21st century, this is a little bit exceptional, this is pretty special,” the 50-year-old said.

"When you look at the quality — (Mohammed) Shami, (Jasprit) Bumrah, (Umesh) Yadav, they are unbelievable. And the guys that you have on the sidelines, it reminds me a little bit of what the West Indies had back in the '80s and '90s…the reserve strength is very important in assessing a team's ability. If your reserve strength is very good - Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar) and all these guys are sitting on the sidelines — then it means that your attack is quality,” he added.

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India are currently involved in a three-Test series for the Freedom Series (Gandhi-Mandela Trophy). The hosts have already sealed the series with an unassailable 2-0 lead. The third and final Test starts in Ranchi on October 19.

India are on top of the ICC World Test Championship table with 200 points with an unbeaten record.