South Africa's Wiaan Mulder threatens Lara’s record with blistering triple ton

Bulawayo: Brian Lara’s iconic 400 not out may be under threat — and the man chasing it is an unlikely one. Wiaan Mulder, standing in as South Africa’s Test captain, lit up Bulawayo with a breathtaking triple century, unbeaten 309 during first session on day two of the second Test against Zimbabwe and sending record books into overdrive.

The 27-year-old all-rounder not only became the highest scorer in a debut innings as Test captain but also recorded the fastest 250 in South African Test history. His onslaught — 264 of those runs coming in a single day — powered South Africa to a commanding 465 for 4 on the opening day and left the cricketing world wondering: could Lara’s world record be in danger?

Mulder brought up his 300 early on Day 2, nudging into a territory rarely visited in the modern game. With time on his side and Zimbabwe’s bowling looking increasingly ragged, the comparisons with Lara’s 400 not out — set in 2004 — have become impossible to ignore.

Appointed captain after Keshav Maharaj’s injury ruled him out of the series — with regular skipper Temba Bavuma also unavailable — Mulder wasn’t even South Africa’s original choice to lead. But he’s grabbed the opportunity with both hands, producing one of the most dominant innings ever by a Test captain on debut.

He’s now the first South African in 70 years to score a hundred on captaincy debut — and he’s done it with a performance that’s already among the greatest ever by a Proteas batter.

Mulder walked in with the team reeling at 24 for 2 and steadied the innings alongside David Bedingham, who made 79. Their 184-run partnership took the sting out of Zimbabwe’s early breakthroughs and set the tone for a record-breaking day. Lhuan-dre Pretorius later added a quickfire 54, while Mulder went into overdrive, sending the boundary rope into retreat and the fielders on a leather hunt.

By stumps on Day 1, Mulder had already rewritten several records:

Mulder resumed Day 2 on 264 not out and needed just 38 balls to reach the landmark triple hundred — a feat never before achieved by a South African captain. With Zimbabwe’s bowling attack wilting and the pitch offering little assistance, there’s every chance the records could continue to tumble.

Lara’s 400 not out, made against England in 2004, has stood tall for 21 years. But if Mulder maintains his momentum, the cricketing world may soon have a new highest scorer — and an unexpected name in the history books.

South Africa, World Test Champions and brimming with confidence, have sent out a warning to the rest of the world: even their stand-ins can dominate.