Bulawayo [Zimbabwe], July 7 : South Africa's surprising declaration left Wiaan Mulder 34 runs short of breaking legendary Brian Lara's elusive 400-run feat in his captaincy debut during Day 2 of the second Test against Zimbabwe away from home in Bulawayo on Monday.
Mulder found the formula to thrive in the number three role and decimated Zimbabwe's toothless bowling attack in the first four sessions. He made Zimbabwe regret their decision to bowl after winning the toss by toying with their field. He bustled for runs, offered no clemency to the hosts and stood unbeaten on 367(334) at the stroke of lunch on the second day.
The famed show put up by Mulder was laced with a staggering 49 and four towering maximums, the second-highest boundaries count in a Test innings behind John Edrich's 57. He exploited Zimbabwe's misfiring tactics to blaze his way to the fifth-highest individual score in Test cricket's history and the highest since Mahela Jayawardene's swashbuckling 374 at Colombo in 2006.
The 27-year-old became the first South African to hammer a triple-hundred in Test format after Hashim Amla's historic 311 against England in 2012 at The Oval. Mulder became the first ever to hit a triple-ton in Tests in Zimbabwe. He bettered Sri Lanka's legend Kumar Sangakkara's 270 in 2004.
Mulder breached the three-hundred run mark in 297 deliveries, the second fastest to the feat after India's former explosive opener Virender Sehwag, who required just 278 balls to achieve the feat against South Africa at Chennai in 2008.
Even though he fell short in improving Sehwag's effort, Mulder brought up his 350 in 324 deliveries, the fastest any batter has managed in Test format. He dethroned Matthew Hayden's 402-ball exploits, which also came against Zimbabwe in 2003.
Mulder's star-studded effort ended with an unbeaten 367*, the highest by a player in an away Test. He dethroned former Pakistan batter Hanif Mohammad, who slammed 337 against the West Indies in Barbados in 1958.
Mulder also possesses the highest aggregate by a South African batter in a Test, surpassing former captain Graeme Smith's 362 (277 & 85) against England at Edgbaston in 2003. He also has the highest individual score for the Proteas.