“For someone of that stature to keep that record is deserved” - Wiaan Mulder reveals the reason behind declaring on 367*

South African all-rounder Wiaan Mulder, who bats at No.3, has revealed that he didn’t want to go after Brian Lara’s record of the highest individual Test score of 400 out of respect for the legendary Caribbean batter.

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Notably, Mulder, who is captaining the South African team in Keshav Maharaj’s absence against Zimbabwe in the second Test, went on to smack an unbeaten 367-run knock before declaring the innings at 626/5 in the first innings on Day 2.

“Firstly, I thought we had enough and we needed to bowl. Secondly, Brian Lara is a legend. For someone of that stature to keep that record is deserved. If I get the chance to do it again, I’d do it exactly the same way. I spoke to Shuks (Shukri Conrad) and he felt the same way. Brian Lara is a legend and he deserves to keep that record,” said Mulder after the end of the day’s play.

In the 84th over of the first innings, Zimbabwean pacer Tanaka Chivanga got Mulder’s wicket before the batter reached 250. However, since the bowler overstepped, Mulder received a lifeline, and subsequently, he emerged as the second South African batter to score 300 runs in a Test inning. 

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Mulder, after he got bowled off the no-ball, stated that there were a lot of negative thoughts in his mind. However, he tried his best to stay positive at the crease, scoring runs. It’s important to note that Mulder is also the first South African captain to score a Test triple century.

“There were a lot of thoughts that I had. There were so many negative thoughts after I got bowled off the no ball last night. There were a lot of positives as well, I wanted to just stay positive. Just keep the focus on my shoes and keep singing songs in my head. Today at breakfast somebody mentioned that 277 is the highest score by a debutant captain, so that was the first hurdle. I got past Hash’s (Amla) score and only then realised that I had got to 312,” he added.

Wiaan Mulder explains his decision to declare South Africa's innings at 367 not out against Zimbabwe, stating that Brian Lara, a true legend, deserved to keep his iconic 400* Test record.Stay updated with the latest cricket news, match insights, and exclusive updates at Sky247 India and download the Sky247 app to start betting today!