All-rounder Wiaan Mulder hit 367 not out during South Africa’s second Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo earlier this month.
This is the fifth-highest individual score in the history of Test cricket. It is the highest in Test cricket for South Africa. Batsman Hashim Amla previously held the record – 311 not out against England in 2012.
Captaining the XI in the absence of the injured Keshav Maharaj and Temba Bavuma, Mulder declared South Africa’s first innings on 626 for five.
The declaration stopped Mulder from pursuing the highest individual score in the history of Test cricket. The West Indies’ Brian Lara has the highest – 400 not out against England in St John’s in 2004.
“Now that things have settled a little bit, I’ve chatted a little bit to Brian Lara,” Mulder told SuperSport.
“He said to me I’m creating my own legacy and I should have gone for it. He said records are there to be broken and he wishes if I’m ever in that position again, I actually go and score more than what he had.
“That was an interesting point of view from his side, but I still believe I did the right thing and respecting the game is the most important part for me.”
Earlier this week, former West Indies captain Chris Gayle criticised Mulder for not pursuing Lara’s record.
“If I could get the chance to get 400, I would get 400,” Gayle, who hit two Test, triple-centuries told talkSPORT.
“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.”
Mulder’s 367 not out is the highest Test score for South Africa. He passed the 311 not out collected by batsman Hashim Amla against England in London in 2012.
“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,” added Gayle.
“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.
“Sometimes you can’t even get one run against a team like Zimbabwe, if you want to put it that way. It doesn’t matter, the opponent, if you get a ton against any team, that’s a Test century. If you get a double or triple, 400, that’s Test cricket. That’s the ultimate game. Like I said, he panicked and he blundered, straight up.”