Lara looms large over England

One innings does not make a summer. But these were runs made against a Test-strength attack. Hearteningly for the West Indies, Lara was not the only batsman in form. Opener Sherwin Campbell (146) and Shivnarine Chanderpaul with an unbeaten second innings 103 spent plenty of time in the middle too.

About the only safe conclusion that can be drawn from Lara’s century is that class is permanent and form is temporary which is sobering enough for England.

Still, some have been saying this five-match series represents a great chance for England to beat the West Indies.

But the cold fact remains that the last time England won a Test series against these opponents, Manchester City could give their local rivals a decent game of football and the country still counted its money in pounds, shillings and pence. Truly many things have changed since 1969.

Yet England do have a chance to redress the balance this summer. Since losing the superbly reliable Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes, West Indies have struggled for quality opening batsmen.

Their fellow Bajan Sherwin Campbell has yet to convince some observers that he’s the genuine article but together with left-hander Wavell Hinds he may have solved this problem.

Hinds batted beautifully for a hundred on a turning pitch against Glamorgan where Robert Croft bowled himself into the England squad by taking 8-70.

With seven out of West Indies first eight batsmen likely to be left-handers Croft’s off-spin, unusually for modern Test matches, could be crucial. His stock deliveries will be turning away from the bat which are tougher for top-class batsmen to deal with than the ball spinning towards them.

But Edgbaston is not normally a spinners’ pitch — in 1993 the West Indies won a Test there in barely three days on a seamers’ paradise.

Pace bowlers win more Tests than off-spinners and in Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh the tourists have two greats. Ambrose has said this series will mark the end of his Test career and rest assured he will want to go out in style. As for world Test wicket record-holder Walsh, now on the way to 500 dismissals, he has probably forgotten more about bowling in English conditions than most players will ever know after yeoman service leading the Gloucestershire attack.

With two from Reon King, Franklyn Rose and Nixon McLean to support the dynamic duo the tourists have a sound pace attack.

In an unprecedented move England named their XI 48 hours before the start of play, Croft’s replacement of Lancashire leg-spinner Chris Schofield the only change from the side that drew the second Test against Zimbabwe.

England’s batting still appears overly reliant on Mike Atherton in times of crisis and that will be a concern. But Alec Stewart knows how to get runs against the West Indies. Both players are expected to notch up their 100th Test match during this series and much will depend on their form.

Nasser Hussain has won plaudits for his captaincy but since taking over, his form with the bat has declined sharply. A solid score at Edgbaston would do him the power of good.

England’s bowlers will have noted recent West Indian batting disasters. But the likes of Andrew Caddick, Darren Gough and Ed Giddins — on his home ground — will have to be at their sharpest against a batting line-up that has the ability to score quickly.

He though will not be the centre of attention come Thursday, a role that will not even fall to the determined West Indies captain Jimmy Adams.

All eyes will be on Lara, the only batsman on either side who has staked a claim for true greatness.

“Anyone who goes to see a psychiatrist needs their head seeing to,” said movie mogul Sam Goldwyn and the same remark could apply to psychoanalysts, one of whom Lara visited in New York.

But if a session on the couch has helped Lara regain his appetite for Test cricket after a three-month break it will be England who’ll have the headaches.