Zimbabwe Vs South Africa, 2nd Test: Wiaan Mulder Blew Once-In-A-Lifetime Chance, Says Chris Gayle

Chris Gayle was annoyed by Wiaan Mulder's decision to declare when he was closing in on the highest score in Test history.

South Africa's stand-in captain Mulder was on an unbeaten 367 when he elected to declare against Zimbabwe.

Mulder's decision paid off as South Africa stormed to a huge win, though it did see him fall 33 runs short of the all-time record of 400 not out, set by the great Brian Lara for West Indies against England back in 2004.

And even though Mulder now holds the record of the fifth-highest score in a Test innings, former West Indies star Gayle was baffled by the decision not to carry on, as he accused the Proteas all-rounder of panicking.

"If I could get the chance to get 400, I would get 400," Gayle told talkSPORT.

"That doesn't happen often. You don't know when you're going to get to a triple-century again. Any time you get a chance like that, you try and make the best out of it.

"Come on, you're on 367, automatically you have to take a chance at the record. If you want to be a legend.

"How are you going to become a legend? Records come with being a legend.

"I think it was an error from his side, not to try and go to get it. We don't know if he would go on and get it or not. But he declared on 367 and he said what he had to say. But listen, it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get 400 runs in a Test match. Come on, youngster, you've blown it big time.

"Sometimes you can't even get one run against a team like Zimbabwe, if you want to put it that way.

"It doesn't matter, the opponent, if you get a hundred against any team, that's a Test century. If you get a double or triple, 400, that's Test cricket. That's the ultimate game.

"Like I said, he panicked and he blundered, straight up."

Mulder did take a slice of history, with his knock marking the highest score by a player away from home, while it is also the most runs accumulated in a single innings by any Proteas batter.