The world’s most prolific Test batsman Brian Lara is congratulated by Shane Warne, the world’s highest Test wicket-taker, in Adelaide on Saturday. (Reuters)

Adelaide: West Indian batting superstar Brian Lara on Saturday became the greatest run-scorer in Test cricket during his epic double-century in the third Test against Australia at the Adelaide Oval.

The 36-year-old, 12 runs off the record on his overnight score of 202, went past Allan Border’s world record of 11,174 runs early on the second day’s play.

His 405-minute masterpiece was finally ended when he was bowled by Glenn McGrath for 226, leaving him with a Test aggregate of 11,187 runs at an average of 54.04 in his 121st Test match.

Lara went into cricket folklore when he flicked a McGrath delivery off his hip to fine leg some 20 minutes into the day’s play.

‘The Prince’, with his flourishing high backlift and classic strokemaking, raised his bat to the appreciative crowd and was hugged by batting partner Daren Powell.

The Australian players walked over to him to shake his hand and pat him on the back for breaking the record.

“It’s a great feeling... I’m really proud to have achieved it,” Lara said.

“I think it’s testimony to the fact that I’ve spent 15-16 years playing Test cricket. Anybody who has spent that sort of time and is any sort of decent batsman is going to be in and around records.

“You would love to do it in front of your home crowd, but actually to be here in Australia is great,” he added.

“It was really touching to be here and be appreciated by a country I’ve had great battles with over the years.”

Border paid tribute to the dazzling left-hander for ending his reign as Test cricket’s greatest run-getter.

“Brian is just in a different league than I was. That’s not false modesty. It’s just the facts,” Border said.

“He had more shots and scored at a much faster rate than I did. There is a tinge of sadness there but I was surprised to hold the record in the first place. I say good luck to him. He deserves it.

“He will remembered as one of the top three or four batsmen of all time and you could argue that apart from Don Bradman he could be the next best,” said Border.

Lara’s statistics back up his cricket eminence. It was his eighth double-century, 31st Test century and ninth against Australia.

Only three players have scored more centuries in Tests than Lara: Indians Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar with 34 and Australian Steve Waugh 32.

Lara has the highest Test score of 400 not out against England in Antigua in April last year and also the third-best score of 375 against England also in Antigua in 1994.

The West Indian also holds the highest first-class score of 501 not out for English county Warwickshire in 1994.

It was his fifth Test hundred of the year following knocks of 196 and 176 against South Africa and 130 and 153 against Pakistan.

Despite having achieved all his personal goals, Lara said he has no immediate plans to retire and wants to focus his energy on helping revive West Indian cricket.

Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer called Lara, his former charge at Warwickshire, one of the greatest batsmen of all time.

“I’ve always felt that he is the premier batsman of this era because he has five double hundreds, a 375, a 400 and 501 (for Warwickshire),” Woolmer said in Lahore where Pakistan play a Test against England next week. Anyone who can score that prolifically has to be one of the greatest batsmen of all time, not just of his era.

“He was a wonderful batsman in my tenure at Warwickshire. His performances won the championship for us. He was also a lovely bloke to work with, a very gentle person.

“He’s an awesome batsman and the best in our era without a shadow of a doubt. He could go on until he’s 42 the way he’s playing if he wanted to. ” (AFP)