Wiaan Mulder's Historic Triple Century Highlights South Africa's Dominance in Zimbabwe Test
Remarkable Performance by Wiaan Mulder
Bulawayo [Zimbabwe], July 7: In a stunning display during his captaincy debut, Wiaan Mulder fell just 34 runs shy of the legendary Brian Lara's 400-run milestone on Day 2 of the second Test against Zimbabwe. Mulder excelled in the number three position, dismantling Zimbabwe's ineffective bowling attack over the first four sessions. After Zimbabwe opted to bowl first, Mulder made them regret their decision, finishing the day unbeaten on 367 runs off 334 balls just before lunch on the second day.
His innings featured an impressive 49 boundaries and four sixes, marking the second-highest number of boundaries in a Test innings, trailing only John Edrich's record of 57. Mulder's performance not only secured him the fifth-highest individual score in Test cricket history but also the highest since Mahela Jayawardene's 374 in Colombo back in 2006. At 27, he became the first South African to score a triple-century in Tests since Hashim Amla's 311 against England in 2012, and he also set a record for the highest score in Tests in Zimbabwe, surpassing Kumar Sangakkara's 270 from 2004.
Rapid Accumulation of Runs
Mulder reached the 300-run mark in just 297 balls, making it the second-fastest triple-century in Test history, following India's Virender Sehwag, who achieved the feat in 278 balls against South Africa in 2008. Although he did not surpass Sehwag's record, Mulder's 350 runs came off 324 balls, setting a new record for the fastest 350 in Test cricket, overtaking Matthew Hayden's previous record of 402 balls against Zimbabwe in 2003.
Record-Breaking Achievements
Mulder concluded his innings with an unbeaten 367*, the highest score ever recorded by a player in an away Test match, breaking the previous record held by Pakistan's Hanif Mohammad, who scored 337 against the West Indies in 1958. Additionally, Mulder now holds the record for the highest aggregate by a South African in a Test match, surpassing Graeme Smith's total of 362 runs against England in 2003.