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Former West Indies captain Chris Gayle called out Wiaan Mulder, the stand-in captain of South Africa, for not taking the chance to break the record of the highest individual Test score of 400* set by Brian Lara. Notably, during the second Test of the two-match series against Zimbabwe at the Queen’s Sports Club in Bulawayo, Wiaan Mulder declared South Africa’s innings on 626/5 when he was 367* not out, just 34 runs away from going past the longstanding highest individual Test score record.
The match ended in favour of South Africa during the second session on day three after they bowled out Zimbabwe for just 220 runs following-on, to win it by an innings and 236 runs, to clinch the series 2-0. The South African bowlers had earlier dismissed the entire batting lineup of Zimbabwe in their first innings on just 170 runs, which is why Wiaan Mulder is getting more criticism for taking the option to declare their first innings during the second session on day two.
If I could get the chance to get 400, I would get 400: Chris Gayle
Chris Gayle, who scored 333 runs in a Test innings during his illustrious career, wasn’t having any of the reasoning given by Wiaan Mulder in regards to declaring the South African innings, wherein he stated the need to respect a legend like Brian Lara. He was quoted as saying on the matter, as per talkSPORT, “If I could get the chance to get 400, I would get 400. 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,” Chris Gayle added.
Furthermore, while Chris Gayle understood that Wiaan Mulder might have got out if he had declared South Africa’s innings, but still he should have gone for it. He also remarked, “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 hundred 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.”
