Wiaan Mulder Chooses Respect Over Record in Test Match
- July 7, 2025
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South African cricket captain Wiaan Mulder made headlines with his decision to declare his innings at 367 runs, just 33 runs short of breaking Brian Lara’s world record for the highest individual score in Test cricket. This decision came during the second Test against Zimbabwe at Queens Sports Club. Mulder’s innings, which set a new South African record and marked the fifth highest score in Test history, was a remarkable feat. However, he chose to honor Lara’s legacy by not surpassing the legendary West Indies cricketer’s 400-run milestone achieved against England. Mulder expressed his admiration for Lara, stating that maintaining the record with someone of Lara’s stature was significant. He consulted with South African coach Shukri Conrad, who supported Mulder’s decision to respect the cricket legend. Mulder emphasized that if given another opportunity, he would make the same choice again. In addition to his batting prowess, Mulder contributed to South Africa’s dominant performance by taking two wickets and securing a catch at slip as Zimbabwe struggled in their response. The Zimbabwean team was bowled out for 170 and faced an uphill battle after being forced to follow on. Sean Williams provided a glimmer of hope for Zimbabwe with an impressive 83 not out off 55 balls, but it was not enough to challenge South Africa’s commanding total of 626 for five. Mulder’s innings began with him resuming at 264 not out and reaching his triple century off just 297 balls, making him the second-fastest South African to achieve this milestone after India’s Virender Sehwag. He surpassed Hashim Amla’s previous South African record of 311 not out with consecutive boundaries off Zimbabwean bowler Blessing Muzarabani. Mulder’s innings included 49 fours and four sixes, showcasing his dominance over a struggling Zimbabwean bowling attack.