 "Wiaan Mulder on why he didn't break Brian Lara's record. Image: Zimbabwe Cricket/AFP")
South Africa’s Wiaan Mulder made headlines for his brilliant batting during the second Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo on Monday. The stand-in skipper scored an unbeaten 367 runs in the first innings of the game and shocked fans when he declared just 33 runs short of Brian Lara’s world record score of 400 not out in Test cricket.
Mulder explains his call to declare on 367*
Speaking after the day’s play to former South Africa captain Shaun Pollock on SuperSport, Mulder explained his call to declare the innings despite him being on the verge of breaking a world record. Mulder said that he thought his team had enough runs on the board to declare and that he wanted legend Brian Lara to keep his record.
“Well, first things first, I thought we’ve got enough, we need to bowl. And secondly, Brian Lara is a legend, let’s be real. He got 401 [400*] or whatever it was against England. And for someone of that stature to keep that record is pretty special. I think if I get the chance again, I’d probably do the same thing. I know I was speaking to Shuks [coach Shukri Conrad],” Mulder said.
“He kind of said to me as well, like ’listen, let the legends keep the really big scores’. You never know what’s my fate or whatever you want to call it, what’s destined for me. But I think Brian Lara keeping that record is exactly the way it should be,” Mulder was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
Mulder’s innings has already broken several records. His 367 not out is now the highest individual score by a South African in Test cricket, beating Hashim Amla’s 311 not out. He also broke the record for the highest score in an away Test, passing former Pakistan batter Hanif Mohammad’s 337 from 1958. It is now the fifth-highest individual score in Test cricket.
Mulder’s triple century came off just 297 balls, the second-fastest in Test history behind former India opener Virender Sehwag’s 278-ball triple hundred. As far as the match is concerned, South Africa declared on 626/5 and then bowled out Zimbabwe for 170 in the first innings. Zimbabwe ended Day 2 at 51/1 after being asked to follow on.