South Africa captain Wiaan Mulder was on the cusp of a world record in the red-ball format as he was close to breaking Brian Lara's record of scoring 400 runs in a Test innings.
Mulder was cruising through the first innings of the second Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo as he smashed 367 runs off 334 balls. However, just 33 runs short of Lara's tally, the Proteas skipper declared the innings, much to everyone's disbelief.
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Despite the shocking declaration, Mulder did manage to break multiple records. He became the first captain in Test cricket history to hit a triple hundred and the seventh player in Test history to score 350 or more runs in an innings. He eventually went past Sir Garfield Sobers' 365 runs tally and is now sitting in the fifth position in the list of all-time highest run scorers in Test cricket.
Other than missing out on beating Lara's total, Mulder missed out on one more record as he failed to break Virender Sehwag's record of fastest triple century, despite playing a fiery knock.
READ: Highest individual scores in a Test innings listed
Top 5 batters who have scored fastest triple hundreds in Tests
| Player | Team | Opponent | Balls faced | Year | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virender Sehwag | India | South Africa | 278 | 2007 | Chennai |
| Wiaan Mulder | South Africa | Zimbabwe | 297 | 2025 | Bulewayo |
| Harry Brook | England | Pakistan | 310 | 2024 | Multan |
| Matthew Hayden | Australia | Zimbabwe | 362 | 2003 | Perth |
| Virender Sehwag | India | Pakistan | 364 | 2004 | Multan |
What next for South Africa?
The reigning WTC champions have already picked up nine Zimbabwe wickets and will aim to pick up all 20 wickets and seal the fate of the match as early as possible.