Bulawayo [Zimbabwe], July 7 (ANI): South Africa tand-in captain Wiaan Mulder explained the reaon behind hi deciion not to purue Wet Indie legend Brian Lara eluive 400 record on Day 2 of the econd Tet againt Zimbabwe on Monday.
After toppling a handful of record, Mulder tood on the cup of urpaing Lara miletone of mahing 400 in a Tet inning. He returned unbeaten on 367(334), 33 run hort of levelling Lara record after lunch wa called. However, to everyone urprie, South Africa declared it inning on 626/5.
Mulder broke the air of ilence around the Protea deciion to declare their inning and declared that legend Lara deerve to keep the record for himelf. The 27-year-old doent carry the burden of regret on hi houlder. If Mulder found himelf in the ame moment, he wouldnt think twice before going down the ame path.
Brian Lara i a legend. For omeone of that tature to keep that record i deerved. If I get the chance to do it again, Id do it exactly the ame way. I poke to Shuk (head coach Shukri Conrad), and he felt the ame way. Brian Lara i a legend, and he deerve to keep that record, Mulder aid after the end of the day play.
Mulder deciion created an air of notalgia, turning back the clock for diehard cricket fan. In 1998, during a Tet match between Autralia and Pakitan in Pehawar, Mark Taylor dazzled hi way to 334, levelling Don Bradman record of the highet individual core by an Autralian. Depite being one run away from etching hi name in hitory, Taylor choe to declare before the tart of the play on Day 3, paying tribute to the legendary Baggy Green tar.
In Bulawayo, Mulder found the formula to thrive in the number three role and decimated Zimbabwe toothle bowling attack in the firt four eion. He made Zimbabwe regret their deciion to bowl after winning the to by toying with their field. He butled for run and offered no clemency to the hot.
The memorable how put up by Mulder wa laced with a taggering 49 and four towering maximum, the econd-highet boundarie count in a Tet inning behind John Edrich 57. He exploited Zimbabwe mifiring tactic to blaze hi way to the fifth-highet individual core in Tet cricket hitory and the highet ince Mahela Jayawardene wahbuckling 374 at Colombo in 2006.
South Africa left no tone unturned to turn the entire Tet into a one-ided affair. Off-pinner Prenelan Subrayen made inroad with hi bewitching pell to return with figure of 4/42. The ret of the bowling unit chipped in a Zimbabwe bundled out on 170. The Protea impoed a follow-on and the day ended with the hot trailing by 405 run after poting 51/1. (ANI)