South Africa won the second Test by an innings and 236 runs.
It is not every day that one has the opportunity to be part of history. For Wiaan Mulder, that chance was at a touching distance. The South African skipper tore down records like a piece of paper, and was batting on 367*. That’s when he declared the innings, with the South Africans on 626/5. It was a shocking decision. Everyone wanted him to break Brian Lara’s long-standing record. The West Indian got to the milestone against England in 2004, and Mulder had a chance to script history after 21 long years. However, he chose to declare the innings because he felt that the Proteas needed to bowl at Zimbabwe. The World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 Champions went on to win by an innings and 236 runs.
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When asked about the decision to declare at the time, Wiaan Mulder said that legends deserve to keep the records. He expressed that Lara was a fabulous player and that the records should be held in his name instead. The just-turned South African skipper also went on to mention that he would take the same decision again if an opportunity presents itself. But, this hasn’t sat very well with Universe Boss Chris Gayle. The West Indian explosive opener clearly stated that Mulder should have continued towards the 400-run mark. He also mentioned that the declaration was a result of sudden panic.
“Come on, you’re on 367; automatically, you have to take a chance at the record. If you want to be a legend, how are you going to become a legend? Records come with being a legend. I think it was an error from his side, not to try and go to get it. We don’t know if he would go on and get it or not. But he declared on 367, and he said what he had to say. But listen, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get 400 runs in a Test match. Come on, youngster, you’ve blown it big time!”
Not only did Mulder break a series of records, but he also helped the Proteas clinch a famous victory against Zimbabwe. Achieving victory by an innings and 236 runs is no mean feat, and Mulder’s contribution was instrumental in the outcome of the game. Batting first, South Africa lost two wickets early and were 23/2 when skipper Mulder walked in. David Bedingham and Mulder then curated a partnership of 184 runs. Lhuan Dre Pretorius also chipped in with 78 runs. But after that, it was all Mulder. After the WTC 2025 champions declared on 626/5, they skittled out Zimbabwe for 170 & 220 in the two innings respectively to register their third biggest victory in terms of runs.
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Mulder was left without breaking the record of Brian Lara, and Gayle couldn’t come to terms with it. He felt that it was a golden opportunity that should have been grabbed with both hands. He stressed that an opportunity like this doesn’t present itself every day. Moreover, a Test century against any nation is a Test century nonetheless. So he would have liked Mulder to make the most of the chance he received. But he felt that he had been too generous and let the chance slip.
“That doesn’t happen often. You don’t know when you’re going to get to a triple century again. Any time you get a chance like that, you try and make the best out of it. But he was so generous and said he wanted the record to stay with Brian Lara. Maybe he panicked; he didn’t know what to do in that situation.”
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