Gayle slams Mulder for missing 400 chance

New Delhi

West Indies legend Chris Gayle has strongly criticised South African stand-in captain Wiaan Mulder for declaring the innings when he was just 33 runs away from breaking Brian Lara’s world record of 400* in a Test match.

Mulder, unbeaten on 367, shocked fans by declaring South Africa’s innings at 626/5 on Day 2 of the second Test against Zimbabwe. He later said Lara "deserved to keep the record" out of respect for the cricket great.

Gayle wasn’t impressed. Speaking to talkSPORT, he said, “You’re on 367 — take the chance. That’s how you become a legend. He panicked and blundered, straight up.”

Gayle added that such chances are rare and should be seized, regardless of the opponent. “It’s still Test cricket. Even scoring one run can be hard.”

Mulder’s innings helped South Africa thrash Zimbabwe by an innings and 236 runs. But Gayle believes the young skipper missed a once-in-a-lifetime moment, saying, “He didn’t know what to do under pressure.”