Overview:
Some critics suggested Mulder’s achievement against 12th-ranked Zimbabwe lacked significance, but Gayle dismissed this, emphasising that such opportunities are rare, no matter the opposition.
Chris Gayle, the legendary West Indies cricketer, has shared his discontent with Wiaan Mulder‘s choice to declare South Africa’s innings when he was merely 34 runs short of breaking Brian Lara’s Test record of 400*. Gayle believes Mulder missed a golden opportunity to cement his place in cricket history by not pushing further for the record.
Mulder’s outstanding 367* against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo marked a key milestone in his career, cementing his place in cricket history. Yet, in an unexpected decision, he chose to declare South Africa’s innings at 626 for 5 shortly after the first session on Day 2.
What makes this innings even more impressive is that Mulder reached his triple-century in just 297 balls, making it the second-fastest triple-hundred in Test cricket history. Despite his extraordinary performance, the declaration has stirred up a debate, with Gayle suggesting that Mulder should have continued his innings to challenge Lara’s historic feat.
“If I had the opportunity to reach 400, I would go for it. Whenever you have a chance like that, you’ve got to make the most of it. When you’re on 367, you’ve got to take a shot at the record,” Gayle said on talkSPORT.
“Perhaps he got nervous and wasn’t sure what to do. If you want to be a legend, how do you become one? Records are part of what makes you a legend,” he continued.
Some critics suggested Mulder’s achievement against 12th-ranked Zimbabwe lacked significance, but Gayle dismissed this, emphasising that such opportunities are rare, no matter the opposition.
“I believe it was a mistake on his part not to go for it. We can’t say for sure if he would have made it or not, but he declared at 367, and that’s what he chose. Achieving 400 runs in a Test match is a rare feat, something that doesn’t happen every day. Come on, young man, you’ve blown it big time,” Gayle added.
“It doesn’t matter who the opponent is and scoring a century against any team is still a Test century. Whether it’s a double, triple, or even 400, that’s what Test cricket is all about. It’s the pinnacle of the game,” he concluded.