Proteas all-rounder, Wiaan Mulder scored a record-breaking 264* on his captaincy debut in Bulawayo today (July 6), breaking the South Africa national record for the most runs scored in a day in an individual Test innings.
Mulder makes captaincy debut
The 27-year-old was given the captain's armband for the second Test after Keshav Maharaj picked up an injury which ruled him out of the game. Maharaj had stood in for Temba Bavuma during the first Test, which South Africa won by 328 runs, with the full-time skipper unavailable following his side's World Test Championship win.
Several of South Africa's first-choice side are not playing in the series in Zimbabwe, with Lesego Senokwane and Prenelan Subrayen making their Test debuts during this match, following Dewald Brevis, Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Codi Yusuf all being handed debuts in the first game.
2nd Test, Zimbabwe vs South Africa
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Mulder hits record-breaking double
Having lost the toss and been put into bat, South Africa lost both openers early, With Tony de Zorzi falling for 10 before Senokwane's wicket left the visitors 24-2. From there, Mulder put on a 184-run stand with David Beddingham, taking South Africa past the 200 mark for the loss of their second wicket.
Mulder, previously considered a bowling allrounder, was promoted to No.3 against Sri Lanka last year, when a broken finger led to him moving up the order as he was unable to bowl. It's a move the Proteas stuck with, and Mulder stayed in that role against Pakistan earlier this year and against Australia in the World Test Championship final last month.
Having made a high score of 27 from his first five innings as a Test top order batter, Mulder scored his maiden Test century in the first Test against Zimbabwe, hitting 147 in the second innings. However, he went well past that today, passing a double-century and becoming the first South Africa player in 70 years to score three figures in their first match in charge.
Mulder motored on throughout the day, passing 250 after a nervy moment where he was bowled off a no ball by Tanaka Chivanga when he was on 247. He finished the day unbeaten on 264 off 259 balls, with South Africa on 465-4.
Mulder's innings is the most runs scored by a South Africa batter in a single day of a Test match, and is sixth on the all-time list. He finished below Don Bradman's 271 runs scored against Egland in 1930, and well short of Bradman's all-time record of 309.
Mulder also became the third player to score a double hundred on captaincy debut. His 264* is in fact, now the highest score by a player on Test captaincy debut.
Full list: Most runs scored in a day in an individual Test innings
| Player | Runs | Start | Finish | Team | Opposition | Venue | Year |
| Don Bradman | 309 | 0 | 309* | Australia | England | Headingley | 1930 |
| Wally Hammond | 295 | 41* | 336 | England | New Zealand | Auckland | 1933 |
| Virender Sehwag | 284 | 0 | 284* | India | Sri Lanka | Brabourne | 2009 |
| Denis Compton | 273 | 5* | 278 | England | Pakistan | Trent Bridge | 1954 |
| Don Bradman | 271 | 0 | 271* | Australia | England | Leeds | 1934 |
| Wiaan Mulder | 264 | 0 | 264* | South Africa | Zimbabwe | Bulawayo | 2025 |
| Virender Sehwag | 257 | 52* | 309* | India | South Africa | Chennai | 2008 |
| Don Bradman | 244 | 0 | 244 | Australia | England | The Oval | 1934 |
| David Warner | 244 | 0 | 244* | Australia | New Zealand | WACA | 2015 |
| Frank Worrell | 239 | 0 | 239* | West Indies | England | Trent Bridge | 1950 |
| Karun Nair | 232 | 71* | 303 | India | England | Chennai | 2016 |
| Herschelle Gibbs | 228 | 0 | 228 | South Africa | Pakistan | Cape Town | 2003 |
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