'No Man, Why': Wiaan Mulder Labelled 'Brian Lara Fan' After Declaration On 367* Chasing History
Mulder's outing at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo, ranks fifth in the all-time list of highest scores in a Test match, with Lara topping the board for his 400 not out against England at St. John's in 2004. Australia's Matthew Hayden and Sri Lanka's Mahela Jaywardene are the other two batters on the list, with the former West Indies skipper's 375 vs England occupying the third spot.
The decision drew mixed response.
SA will win this Test with a day to spare, those few overs after lunch would never haunt them.
400 was a deserved.
That said 367 is an amazing achievement.
Congratulations Wessie!
— Dale Steyn (@DaleSteyn62) July 7, 2025
No man no no no... why the declaration
So much time left in the game. Could have told him he's got 5 overs to go out there and smash it to try and get to 400 pic.twitter.com/ovu0hMfMgI
— Tabraiz Shamsi (@shamsi90) July 7, 2025
Mulder walks off unbeaten on 367
Just 33 runs short of a world record and he chose to declare.
He's Brian Lara Fan pic.twitter.com/4c806jriFY
— Ayyappan (@Ayyappan_1504) July 7, 2025
Mulder, 27, is captaining the Proteas for the first time in the second Test of the two-game series against Zimbabwe and was unbeaten at 367 when lunch was called. With South Africa having scored 626/5, the all-rounder decided to call curtains on their innings and did not go for a chance to enter the elusive 400-run club. His first-inning total is now the highest individual score by a South African in Test history.
Having come in at 24 for two on Day 1, Mulder showed immense composure on his debut captaincy stint. His partnerships defined the innings - 184 runs with David Bedingham and 217 runs off only 185 deliveries for the fourth wicket with Lhuan-dre Pretorius. It is the second-highest fourth-wicket stand for South Africa away from home.
At stumps on Sunday, he had already racked up 264 runs - the most by any South African in a single day of Test cricket and the second-most ever on an opening day globally. Resuming on Day 2, he wasted no time to bring up his triple hundred, joining Hashim Amla as the second South African to reach the mark in Tests. His 300 came off 297 balls, making it the second-fastest in Test history.
Mulder's double-century off 214 deliveries had already placed him second on South Africa's fastest double tons list behind Herschelle Gibbs. His triple-century now tops another chart: the highest individual score by a South African in Tests, surpassing Amla's 311 not out.
Zimbabwe were dealt with early blows as Codi Yusuf claimed two early wickets and Corbin Bosch opened his tally to leave the hosts reeling at 18/3.
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