Mulder: Lara keeping that record is exactly the way it should be

Wiaan Mulder had a shot at overhauling Brian Lara's world-record 400* when he went to lunch at 367* on day two of the second Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo. Mulder, the stand-in captain, though, declared the innings at the break, and stopped short of the record because he felt "Lara keeping that record is exactly the way it should be".

"Well, first things first, I thought we've got enough, we need to bowl. And secondly, Brian Lara is a legend, let's be real," Mulder told Shaun Pollock during the post-day interview with SuperSport. He got 401 [400*] or whatever it was against England. And for someone of that stature to keep that record is pretty special. I think if I get the chance again, I'd probably do the same thing. I know I was speaking to Shuks [coach Shukri Conrad].

"He kind of said to me as well, like listen, let the legends keep the really big scores. You never know what's my fate or whatever you want to call it, what's destined for me. But I think Brian Lara keeping that record is exactly the way it should be."

Mulder, though, broke a number of other records and Zimbabwe's attack on the day. He became only the second South Africa player after Hashim Amla to score a triple-hundred went onto surpass Amla's 311*. Funnily enough, singing songs freed up him and saw him tick off one milestone after another.

"I mean, there was a lot of thoughts," Mulder said. "In the end, it's just singing my song between balls and trying to keep myself natural and trying to keep myself present. Kept feeling my shoes, that type of thing to make sure I'm in the moment and not too far ahead.

"And to be honest, when I went past Hash's score, I didn't really notice what actually happened until I looked up. I was on 312. I was like, oh, wow! I was just on 300. I don't know how I got there, but yeah, I was truly special.

"Well, in Bangladesh, it was an Afrikaans song that I got to my hundred with and I lost it a little bit along the way. And in this song, in this game, it was Zombie by The Cranberries. So I just sing, zombie."

Mulder had made his international debut for South Africa in an ODI in 2017, when he felt that he wasn't well-equipped to deal with the pressure and ruthlessness of top-flight cricket. Mulder has since matured as an allrounder, thanks to playing three seasons of county cricket at Leicestershire.

"I think when I started playing with South Africa, I was nowhere near good enough, to be honest with you, Polly," Mulder said. "It did offer me a lot of opportunities to learn from great players who have retired now, and some guys are still playing. But going to England really gave me a chance to understand what type of batter I want to be as well and figure out some technical things.

"I think I came across the ball for a very large portion of my career. And in England, if your front pad's in the way, you kind of get exposed quickly. So those were lessons. I mean, there's many more I can name, but those were lessons that I continuously kept learning in England as well as in South Africa.

"Batting at the Wanderers is pretty difficult. So, yeah, I think it's all put me in a good place. The head coach, Justin Sammons of Zimbabwe, played a massive role in my batting. In particular, playing the short ball. So, I mean, there's a lot of growth that's happened over the last couple of years."

All of those lessons helped Mulder dictate terms against Zimbabwe in the second Test and put South Africa on the path to an innings win. In response to South Africa's 626 for 5 declared, Zimbabwe folded for 170 in their first innings and went on stumps on 51 for 1 in their second after being asked to follow-on.

"Yeah, it's pretty special, Polly," Mulder said. "To be honest with you, I've never even dreamt of getting a double-hundred, never mind a triple-hundred, but super special. The most important thing is to put the team in a good position to hopefully win this Test."

South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad was full of praise for Mulder's knock.

"Wiaan's innings was nothing short of extraordinary," Conrad said in a CSA statement. "Being the captain, then batting at No.3, where had to absorb early pressure and face the new ball, which he did with immense composure and control - it was unbelievable.

"The way he constructed his innings, session by session, was a masterclass in temperament and shot selection. It's the kind of performance that anchors a team and sets the tone for the entire match. We're incredibly proud of what he's achieved today."