Why Wiaan Mulder why ? would always be the burning question in the cricket fraternity and fans all around.
Why Wiaan? Why would you declare when you are 34 runs away from surpassing Brian Lara – Brian Charles Lara! – and becoming the highest individual scorer in an innings among all the 3,234 men who have yet played Test cricket
Are you sated by having made the most runs by anyone in an away Test, more even than Hanif Mohammad Or by breaking Hashim Amla’s South Africa record Or by owning the highest score by a first-time captain
Wiaan Mulder’s undefeated 367 against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo, which he completed on Monday (July 7), is the subject of all of the above. His declaration came at Lunch on the second day, when South Africa were 626/5. They dismissed the home side for 170 midway through the third session, and enforced the follow-on. In the 16 overs Zimbabwe faced before bad light prompted stumps, they lost only one more wicket – but they remain 405 behind.
South Africa’s probability of victory wouldn’t have been at all affected had they batted on until – or if – Mulder reached 401 and went past Lara. So, why Wiaan?
These qusestions were all valid as Wiaan Mulder has reached on the sight of record only on the Second Day before Lunch vs a team Zimbabwe who South Africa would have had enough time to bowl out twice in the upcoming 3 days. However answering to all these queries Wiaan Mulder silenced everyone by his answer which marked him as a biggest sacrifice in the history of Test cricket.
Wiaan Mulder unbeaten on 367 at Lunch on Day 2 refuses to break Brian Lara’s longstanding record of 400 in Tests.
South Africa’s stand-in captain, Wiaan Mulder, let a golden opportunity slip off when he declared South Africa’s innings despite being inches away from Brian Lara’s legendary 400*. Wiaan Mulder was going all guns blazing as he smashed 103 runs alone in the first session on Day 2 and was well set to break Lara’s record. He needed only 34 runs to break Lara’s record when Lunch was called when the Proteas were 625/6. However, the visitors decided to declare during the break as it robbed Mulder of a golden chance to etch his name into the history books.
South African captain Wiaan Mulder said respect for Brian Lara convinced him to declare 33 runs short of the former West Indies star’s world Test record against Zimbabwe at Queens Sports Club on Monday. Mulder hammered an unbeaten 367 –- a South African record and the fifth highest score in Test cricket – before declaring at lunch on the second day of the second Test
“Brian Lara is a legend. He got 401 or whatever it was (it was 400) against England. For someone of that stature to keep the record is pretty special,” Mulder said at the close.
“I think if I get the chance again I would do the same again.”
Wiaan Mulder spoke to South African coach Shukri Conrad who agreed with his decision.
“He said to me as well, let the legend keep the record. I never know what my fate will be but letting Brian Lara keep the record is the way it should be.”
Wiaan Mulder did notch up the fifth highest test score and, on the list of triple centurions, now sits above the likes of Don Bradman and Gary Sobers. He was only recently promoted up the South Africa order to fill the troublesome No. 3 position and before his triple hundred averaged only 26.20 in 33 test innings, with two previous tons.
“To be honest with you, I’ve never even dreamed of getting a double hundred, never mind a triple hundred,” he said on Monday after lashing a mediocre home attack to all corners in an impressive knock made up of 53 boundaries.
“But it’s super special and the most important thing is putting the team in a good position to hopefully win this test,” Mulder added.
Wiaan Mulder took two wickets and held a catch at slip as Zimbabwe crumbled in reply. Sean Williams, who was only allowed to bat after five wickets had fallen because of time spent off the field because of illness, slammed 83 not out off 55 balls in Zimbabwe’s only innings of substance. Resuming on 264 not out, Wiaan Mulder became the second South African triple centurion, reaching the mark off 297 balls -– the second-fastest behind India’s Virender Sehwag, who took 278 deliveries against South Africa in Chennai in 2007/08.
Wiaan Mulder went past the previous highest South African individual score of 311 not out by Hashim Amla against England at The Oval in London in 2012 with successive boundaries off fast bowler Blessing Muzarabani. Wiaan Mulder faced 334 balls and hit 49 fours and four sixes off an increasingly dispirited and largely toothless Zimbabwe bowling attack.
While Mulder did not break Lara’s record, he achieved the milestone for the highest score by a batter in an away Test match. The previous record belonged to Pakistan’s Hanif Mohammad, who has hit 337 during the Barbados Test against the West Indies in 1958.
Highest individual scores in away Tests:
- 367* – Wiaan Mulder (SA) vs ZIM, Bulawayo, 2025
- 337 – Hanif Mohammad (PAK) vs WI, Barbados, 1958
- 336* – Wally Hammond (ENG) vs NZ, Auckland, 1933
- 334* – Mark Taylor (AUS) vs PAK, Peshawar, 1998
- 334 – Sir Don Bradman (AUS) vs ENG, Headingley, 1930
South Africa bowled Zimbabwe out for a mere 170 after declaring, with Prenelan Subrayen taking four wickets. The Proteas asked the Chevrons to follow on, and they have done better in the second stint till stumps on Day 3.Zimbabwe ended the day on 51/1 and trail by 405 more in their follow-on.
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