Lara picks Warne over Murali as best spinner, highlights mental strength

West Indies legend Brian Lara has picked the late Shane Warne as the greatest spinner he faced in his illustrious career, despite the immense challenges posed by Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan.

Speaking on the Stick to Cricket podcast, Lara -- widely regarded as one of the finest left-handers in cricket history with 11,953 Test runs --opened up about his battles against the two iconic leg-spinners. While Warne dismissed Lara seven times in Tests, Muralitharan got him out five times.

"Shane Warne is the best. He is the best," Lara said. "I would walk out to bat against Murali and I am confused. I got that 688 runs in three matches and the first half an hour of Murali's bowling, I would be confused."

Despite enjoying significant success against the Sri Lankan great --averaging a staggering 124 in matches featuring Murali -- Lara admitted Murali initially created more pressure. "Murali gave me more pressure than Shane," he said.

However, it was Warne's mental strength that impressed Lara the most.

"I would walk out to bat against Shane. The ball would be coming off the middle, every ball, and about 2-3 PM, he just produces this magical delivery or spell," he said. "That's why I rate him higher. I think he was mentally stronger. With the bowling attack and pitches that favoured the McGraths and McDermotts, for him to pick up that amount of wickets was very special."

Lara averaged 71.6 in matches against Warne and 82.5 overall against spinners in Tests -- the eighth-highest among batters who have played over 30 Tests with a strike rate of 65 or more.

A few years ago, Lara had told The Telegraph that he could read Warne easily from the hand, but the Australian's refusal to give up made him stand out. "He was always going to come out and produce something to confuse you."

Warne, who passed away in 2022, had also praised Lara's ability to perform in tough conditions. "He was flamboyant, wonderful to watch, and he always seemed to hit the gaps. His placement was something special," Warne had said in a Cricket Australia interview.