Did Wiaan Mulder Make a Huge Mistake by Not Chasing Brian Lara's Record?

New Delhi, July 9 (NationPress) West Indies cricket icon Chris Gayle criticized stand-in South Africa captain Wiaan Mulder for squandering a rare chance to break Brian Lara's Test record by not pursuing a score of 400 in the second Test against Zimbabwe.

At lunch on the second day in Bulawayo, Mulder was well-positioned at 367 not out, with Lara's formidable 400 not out within reach, as South Africa dominated the game.

However, Mulder opted not to chase the record and declared the Proteas' first innings at 626/5, allowing Lara's record for the highest Test score to remain intact. He was just 34 runs shy of setting a new world record when he declared.

Explaining his reasoning, Mulder remarked, "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. Brian Lara is a legend. He scored 400 against England – for someone of that stature to hold that record is pretty special."

Despite Mulder's perspective, Gayle expressed his discontent with Mulder's decision, suggesting he 'panicked and made a mistake' by not pursuing the record.

"If I had the opportunity to reach 400, I would take it. Chances like that are rare. You never know when you'll get another shot at a triple century. When you have the opportunity, you must seize it," Gayle stated during an interview with talkSPORT.

"He was very generous by saying he wanted the record to stay with Brian Lara. Perhaps he panicked; he may not have known how to react in that moment. Come on, when you're at 367, you have to go for the record. If you aim to be a legend, how will you achieve that? Records are part of becoming a legend," he added.

"In my view, it was a mistake on his part not to attempt to achieve it. We can't say whether he would have succeeded or not. He declared at 367 and stated his reasons. But really, it's a once-in-a-lifetime chance to score 400 runs in a Test match. Come on, young man, you've really messed up!"

"It doesn't matter who the opponent is; scoring 100 against any team counts as a Test century. Achieving a double or triple, or even 400, is the pinnacle of Test cricket. He panicked and made a blunder, plain and simple," Gayle further commented.

Mulder's unbeaten 367 off 334 balls ranks as the fifth-highest individual score in Test cricket history. He now trails only Brian Lara, Matthew Hayden, and Mahela Jayawardena among the highest individual scorers in men's Test matches.

This remarkable innings, featuring an impressive 49 fours and 4 sixes, stands as the highest score ever recorded by a Proteas player in the longest format of the game.