Although captain Mulder had the golden opportunity to break the record for the highest individual score in Test cricket (400 runs), set by Brian Lara on 12 April 2004 against England in St. John’s, West Indies, he declared the innings after lunch on the second day of the second Test match against Zimbabwe. At the time of the declaration, the South African captain was unbeaten on 367 runs, having faced 334 balls, including 49 fours and 4 towering sixes.
Why did South Africa declare the innings?
South Africa has amassed a huge score on the second day against the weaker Zimbabwean team. South Africa will now aim to quickly bowl out the under-pressure hosts and enforce the follow-on, thus avoiding the need for a second innings, especially with three days remaining in the match. At the time of writing, Zimbabwe had lost 3 wickets for 18 runs in 8.3 overs in their first innings.Top 5 Highest Individual Scores in Test Cricket
Brian Lara (400* runs off 582 balls) – West Indies vs England – (St. John’s, 2004)Matthew Hayden (380 runs off 437 balls) – Australia vs Zimbabwe (Perth, 2003)
Brian Lara (375 runs off 538 balls) – West Indies vs England (St. John’s, 1994)
Mahela Jayawardene (374 runs off 572 balls) – Sri Lanka vs South Africa (Colombo, 2006)
Wiaan Mulder (367* runs off 334 balls) – South Africa vs Zimbabwe (Bulawayo, 2025)
