Follow UsOvernight, Wiaan Mulder went from another batter on the South African side to nearly besting Brian Lara’s world-record 400. In his first Test as Proteas’ captain, Mulder smashed 367 in one day and a session, and was on course to break Lara’s 400 in the second Test against Zimbabwe.
While everyone expected the all-rounder to have a crack at the world record, he had other plans, shocking the world with a declaration, 33 runs short of equalling the all-time record. When asked about the declaration, Mulder insisted that some ‘records are best with legends’, and it was only right that Lara had it.
Every Record Wiaan Mulder Broke In His Historic 367* Against Zimbabwe
In response to that, former West Indian opener Chris Gayle slammed Mulder, stating that the South African ‘panicked
"Come on, you're on 367; automatically, you have to take a chance at the record. If you want to be a legend, how are you going to become a legend? Records come with being a legend,” Gayle said on talkSPORT's Hawksbee and Jacobs.
"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,' Gayle said.
"I think it was an error from his side, not to try and go to get it. We don't know if he would go on and get it or not. But he declared on 367 and he said what he had to say. But listen, it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get 400 runs in a Test match. Come on, youngster, you've blown it big time!"
Would Gayle have declared, or gone for the record score?
"If I [Gayle] could get the chance to get 400, I would get 400," he added.
Gayle also put down the score coming against Zimbabwe, saying that it is the ‘same Test cricket’, and sometimes you can’t even get one run against the same team.
"It's the same cricket, Test cricket," Gayle said. "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 100 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."