Wiaan Mulder ended the South Africans’ first innings in the second Test against Zimbabwe with his personal score on 367 not out.
Almost inexplicably, South African captain and all-rounder Wiaan Mulder declared his team’s innings closed on Tuesday with his personal score on 367 not out, 34 runs short of breaking the world individual Test record of 400 not out, held by Brian Lara on the West Indies.
The cricketing world was left stunned when Mulder decided that his team had scored enough runs in their first innings of the second Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo on Monday — 626/5.
Having batted for four sessions, the South Africans were in complete control of the match, and so it later proved as they bowled out Zimbabwe for a paltry 170 in their first innings. South Africa won the first Test comfortably.
Mulder’s score is the fifth best of all time — after Lara’s 400 not out, Matthew Hayden’s 380, Lara’s 375 and Mahela Jayawardene’s 374. The stand-in South African captain’s 367 not out is now his country’s highest Test score, after Hashim Amla’s 311.
But, should Mulder have pushed on for Lara’s score of 400? Many in the cricketing world thinks he should have.
However, many fans said Mulder had shown respect to Lara, one of the greatest batters of all time by not going after his record. Others said his decision was selfless and in favour of the team.
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