If Lara can't make your all time 5 then that's a clear case of bias, and regardless of how biased you want to say i am i can say clearly that Lara must be there. What esle can you judge a batsman on but milestones???? Match Dravid or Tendulkar or Ponting or Hayden to EACH of these milestones, then find an extra one to beat Lara. Lara is the best of his generation by a long way and definitely in the top 5 of all time:
1. Debut Test Century: 277 v Austraila AWAY from home in 1993
2. World Test Record : 375 v England, breaking a 36 year old record in 1994. Rated by Wisden as the 10th Best innings in the history of Test cricket
3. World First Class Individual Record: 501* v Durham beating 36 year old record in 1994
4. 7 centuries in 8 First Class innings in 1994, beating many who had 6 from 7
5. Playing against the #1 team in the World in 1999, scored an epic 213 to level the Series 1-1. 213 rated as the 15th best innings in the History of Test Cricket by Wisden
6. In the same series, scored 153* to lead WI to an epic 1 wkt victory and a 2-1 series lead. 153* rated as the 2nd best innings of all time by Wisden.
7. In 2001, Lara had 3 of his innings rated in the top 100 of all time, SECOND ONLY TO BRADMAN, who had 5.
8. In 2001, scored 688 runs in a 3 match series against Sri Lanka, SECOND only to Graham Gooch for aggregate in a 3 match series.
9. In same series, became only the 5th MAN IN THE HISTORY OF THE GAME to score a double century and a century in the same match.
10. In 2003, achieved the SECOND HIGHEST TEST average as CAPTAIN, SECOND TO DG BRADMAN.
11. In 2003, claimed the WI record for highest aggregate Test runs, BEATING VIV RICHARDS (whose name has been bandies about as one of the 5 all time greats) AT A HIGHER AVERAGE
12. In 2004, scored a WORLD TEST RECORD 400*, becoming only the SECOND MAN TO SCORE 2 TEST TRIPLES, THE ONLY MAN TO RECLAIM HIS LOST TEST RECORD, AGAIN BECAME ONLY THE SECOND MAN TO HOLD BOTH THE TEST AND FIRST CLASS RECORDS and is now SECOND only to DG BRADMAN in terms of TOTAL DOUBLE CENTURIES scored.
12. In 2004 after scoring 120 vs Bangladesh, became the 6th highest century maker in the HISTORY of the game and the joint WI record holder.
13. In 2004, named as one of the WI 5 CRICKETERS (batsmen, bowlers and wktkprs included) of ALL TIME
NOTICE HOW MANY FIRSTS AND SECONDS THERE ARE IN THIS ANALYSIS. LARA IS ONE OF THE GREATEST 5 BATSMEN OF ALL TIME AND THE BEST OF HIS GENERATION. I CAN'T SEE WHY MANY OF YOU CHOOSE TO IGNORE THIS