South Africa all-rounder Wiaan Mulder smashed the record books as he became the first player in history to record a triple century on Test captaincy debut against Zimbabwe at the Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo on Monday. Mulder had already set the highest score ever by a man on Test captaincy debut on Day 1, when he surpassed New Zealand’s Graham Dowling, who had registered 239 in his first innings as captain against India in Christchurch in 1969.
Resuming from his overnight score of 264 not out, Mulder continued his rampage as he first soared past Graeme Smith’s 277 against England in 2003 for the highest score by a South African captain. Mulder reached his triple century in only 297 balls, making it the second-fastest Test triple hundred. Only former India opener Virender Sehwag had recorded the fastest Test 300, having smashed one in only 278 balls against South Africa in 2008 in Chennai.
Mulder overhauled Harry Brook’s 310-ball triple century against Pakistan in Multan last year to take the second spot on the charts. Featuring only in his 21st Test for South Africa, Mulder became the second man after Hashim Amla to record a Test triple century for the Proteas.
While India’s 25-year-old Test captain Shubman Gill missed out on the record at Edgbaston this week, falling on 269 against England, Mulder broke a 61-year-record to become the youngest Test captain to record a triple hundred. Aged 27 years and 138 days, Mulder surpassed former Australia captain Bob Simpson (28y 171d), who had scored 311 against England in Manchester in 1964.
After threatening to go after Brian Lara’s record 400 not out, Mulder finished unbeaten on 367 not out at Lunch as South Africa declared with a daunting 626 for five on board.
