On July 7, in the ongoing Test series between South Africa and Zimbabwe, the world was about to witness the record-breaking innings of the Proteas captain, Wiaan Mulder, as he was about to surpass Brian Lara’s 400-run record. However, Mulder, while batting on 367 not out, declared and denied himself the opportunity to pass Brian Lara’s record when he was just 34 runs away.
Let’s look at why Wiaan Mulder decided not to go after the legendary 400-run knock in Test cricket.
[TRENDING] The Shocking Declaration by Wiaan Mulder
On Day 2 of the Test series between South Africa and Zimbabwe as a part of the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle 2025/27, the stand-in captain and all-rounder, Wiaan Mulder, was about to etch his name in Test cricket history.
Batting first in the second Test at Bulawayo, Mulder was determined to grab the golden opportunity to represent South Africa as a captain and was hitting pretty good shots from the very beginning of the innings. However, the record book started to crumble down when the captain was at 367 runs off just 334 balls, just 34 runs away from getting his name written in the history books, replacing Brian Lara’s record of an unbeaten 400 runs.
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Later, Brian Lara’s 400-run record was saved when Mulder declared the Proteas’ innings at 626 runs, with his unbeaten 367 runs. Later, it was revealed that the South African coach, Shukri Conrad, told the captain to keep the legend’s record safe.
During the post-match interview with Shaun Pollock, Mulder said, “You never know what is destined for me, but Brian Lara keeping that record (of the highest score in Tests) is exactly the way it should be. He got 400 against England—for someone of that stature, to keep that record is pretty special. I think if I get the chance again, I will probably do the same thing.”
Following the sacrifice, South Africa’s first-time captain is now on the list among the elite names in Test cricket to score the highest runs. He successfully pushed the great Sir Garry Sober from the top five list of highest Test scores by an individual. Here is the list:
- 400 – Brian Lara*, West Indies vs England, 2004
- 380 – Matthew Hayden, Australia vs Zimbabwe, 2003
- 375 – Brian Lara, West Indies vs England, 1994
- 374 – Mahela Jayawardene, Sri Lanka vs South Africa, 2006
- 367 – Wiaan Mulder*, Zimbabwe vs South Africa, 2025
- 365 – Garry Sobers*, West Indies vs Pakistan, 1958
He also holds the record for the second-fastest triple century off just 297 balls, just behind Virender Sehwag’s 278-ball triple century in 2008.
Alert 🚨
You are watching one of the Greatest Test Innings by South African 🇿🇦 Captain Wiaan Mulder 👏🏻
He could have easily recorded 400 runs, but chose to declare when he was on 367* 🫡
👉🏻 This is a once-in-a-lifetime innings 🏏#savszimpic.twitter.com/0u0to41VkO
— Richard Kettleborough (@RichKettle07) July 7, 2025
[WHAT’S HAPPENING] What’s Next in the South Africa vs Zimbabwe Test Series
South Africa is standing in a dominating position as the host has failed to bowl and bat well in the Test match. After declaring the innings at 626 for 5 wickets, South Africa bowled really well to wrap up Zimbabwe’s innings, scoring 170 runs.
Among the batters that scored 170 runs in total, the undefeated innings played by Sean Williams deserve praise. He fought alone till the end and scored 83 runs off 55 balls, until the last man was dismissed by the Proteas.
The captain, Wiaan Mulder, bowled exceptionally well as he took 2 wickets in just 6 overs. After ending Zimbabwe’s innings, South Africa again let them bat as a follow-on. Now at 16 overs, Zimbabwe is on 51 runs with the loss of one wicket, trailing by a massive 405 runs.
Day 3 will be interesting to see how Zimbabwe can overcome their nightmare first innings. They are still 405 runs behind, so practically, South African bowlers might continue their momentum and pick up immediate wickets.
Amit Mishra’s Perspective on Wiaan Mulder’s Record-Breaking Innings
From a cricket lover’s perspective, it is very satisfying to see the upcoming batsmen challenging the records set by the legends. Wiaan Mulder’s unbeaten 367-run innings is an example where he nearly broke Brian Lara’s 400-run record.
I feel like he should have chased the record since the opportunity does not come when you feel like scoring. So, it was the right time for him to break the record and etch his name in the history books forever. Having said that, his praise for the record should also be respected.
