Bulawayo [Zimbabwe], July 7 (ANI): South Africa stand-in captain Wiaan Mulder explained the reason behind his decision not to pursue West Indies legend Brian Lara’s elusive 400 record on Day 2 of the second Test against Zimbabwe on Monday.
After toppling a handful of records, Mulder stood on the cusp of surpassing Lara’s milestone of smashing 400 in a Test innings. He returned unbeaten on 367(334), 33 runs short of levelling Lara’s record after lunch was called. However, to everyone’s surprise, South Africa declared its innings on 626/5.
Mulder broke the air of silence around the Proteas’ decision to declare their innings and declared that “legend” Lara deserves to keep the record for himself. The 27-year-old doesn’t carry the burden of regret on his shoulders. If Mulder found himself in the same moment, he wouldn’t think twice before going down the same path.
“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 (head coach Shukri Conrad), and he felt the same way. Brian Lara is a legend, and he deserves to keep that record,” Mulder said after the end of the day’s play.
Mulder’s decision created an air of nostalgia, turning back the clock for diehard cricket fans. In 1998, during a Test match between Australia and Pakistan in Peshawar, Mark Taylor dazzled his way to 334, levelling Don Bradman’s record of the highest individual score by an Australian. Despite being one run away from etching his name in history, Taylor chose to declare before the start of the play on Day 3, paying tribute to the legendary Baggy Greens star.
In Bulawayo, Mulder found the formula to thrive in the number three role and decimated Zimbabwe’s toothless bowling attack in the first four sessions. He made Zimbabwe regret their decision to bowl after winning the toss by toying with their field. He bustled for runs and offered no clemency to the hosts.
The memorable show put up by Mulder was laced with a staggering 49 and four towering maximums, the second-highest boundaries count in a Test innings behind John Edrich’s 57. He exploited Zimbabwe’s misfiring tactics to blaze his way to the fifth-highest individual score in Test cricket’s history and the highest since Mahela Jayawardene’s swashbuckling 374 at Colombo in 2006.
South Africa left no stone unturned to turn the entire Test into a one-sided affair. Off-spinner Prenelan Subrayen made inroads with his bewitching spells to return with figures of 4/42. The rest of the bowling unit chipped in as Zimbabwe bundled out on 170. The Proteas imposed a follow-on and the day ended with the hosts trailing by 405 runs after posting 51/1. (ANI)
