Latest news with #KeshavMaharaj
The Herald
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Herald
Muthusamy says Proteas have to be flexible to thrive in T20 format
His batting record in the T20 format is reasonable — a strike rate of 112.47 and five half-centuries. He's better known for his bowling, with consistent contributions across formats earning him eight international caps, including five Tests. Muthusamy has been a keen listener throughout his career, starting with long chats with Keshav Maharaj when the duo were together at KwaZulu-Natal. At the Pretoria Capitals he tapped into the expertise of England World Cup winner Adil Rashid, when the leg-spinner spent a season in the SA20. 'To pick his brain, what his thought processes are, and the way he dissects what he is trying to do in different conditions was very interesting,' said Muthusamy. With the T20 World Cup being hosted in India and Sri Lanka next February, the composition of the spinning line-up will form an intriguing subplot in South Africa's build-up. Nqaba Peter, George Linde and Muthusamy are getting a first crack at impressing Conrad in what will be a busy six months leading up to that tournament with T20 series' in Australia, England, Pakistan and India on the calendar. However after the loss against New Zealand, Muthusamy said that the Proteas' focus is very much on the short-term. 'We don't look too far ahead, the most important game is Sunday's against Zimbabwe.'
Al Arabiya
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Al Arabiya
Mulder Has the Final Hand as South Africa Trounces Zimbabwe in Heaviest Innings Defeat in 20 Years
Wiaan Mulder had a fitting end to a fabulous debut as captain, taking the last catch for South Africa to hand Zimbabwe its heaviest innings defeat in 20 years and sweep the two-test cricket series. Mulder scored 367 not out – 33 shy of the world record held by West Indies great Brian Lara – before declaring South Africa's innings, and he also took three wickets and three catches to help his team win the second test by an innings and 236 runs. Zimbabwe's match total of 390 runs was just 23 more than Mulder made on his own. The World Test Championship winners have now won a South African record 10 consecutive tests. Zimbabwe was dismissed for 170 in 43 overs in its first innings and, forced to follow-on, succumbed on 220 in 78 overs by Tuesday afternoon. In the absence of the injured Temba Bavuma and Keshav Maharaj, Mulder was a star as captain. His 367 not out was the fifth-highest individual test score of all time and propelled South Africa to 626-5 declared. 'It was super special (to be captain). It's something I had dreamt of as a kid,' Mulder told broadcaster SuperSport. 'To captain your country is one of the biggest honors you can get as a cricketer. So it was a super proud moment for me and my family, and I am glad I could make the guys proud.' Zimbabwe started Day 3 at 51-1 and lost two wickets in the morning, including Sean Williams, who tried to block Mulder and lost his off stump on 11. Before lunch, Nick Welch achieved his third half-century in his fifth test but was out soon after the break for 55 to a slip catch by Mulder off slow left-armer Senuran Muthusamy. Welch's wicket began a slow collapse of seven wickets for 67 runs in 28 overs, highlighted by captain Craig Ervine's 95-ball resistance for 49. Corbin Bosch returned figures of 4-38, fellow pacer Codi Yusuf took 2-38 and Muthusamy had 3-77. Zimbabwe's winless streak in Bulawayo was stretched to 22 tests – 17 of them losses – since 2001. The series marked South Africa's first test tour in 11 years to its neighbor, but the games were not counted in the World Test Championship as Zimbabwe was not in the WTC. The South Africa squad is remaining in Zimbabwe for a Twenty20 tri-series also involving New Zealand.
The Herald
08-07-2025
- Sport
- The Herald
Mulder makes history for Proteas, but should it have been more?
He played with style and aggression, and other than two instances on the first day, never looked uncomfortable. It was a remarkable display of mental fortitude and fitness, with Mulder batting for 10 minutes short of seven hours. He was still running quick singles on Monday morning, and when he accelerated after passing Hashim Amla's previous South African Test record of 311, his shot-making allied power with the elegance he'd shown throughout. Mulder's approach had created the time that allowed him the chance to chase an individual record. So why not do so? In looking back at Mulder's career, he's always questioned whether he truly was worth all the hype that there'd been around him as a schoolboy, which was still there when he was elevated into the professional ranks while still completing his matric. It's perhaps worth recalling that before this Test, Shukri Conrad in explaining the reasons he decided to make Mulder captain after Keshav Maharaj was forced out with an injury, also said he hoped Mulder got 'the sense that we back him'.
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Wiaan Mulder smashes highest Test score by South African - but denies himself chance to chase Brian Lara's all-time record
Wiaan Mulder smashed the highest Test score by a South African with a remarkable knock against Zimbabwe - but denied himself a chance to take down West Indies great Brian Lara's all-time record by declaring The No 3 was unbeaten on 367 just 330 balls off to seem perfectly poised to surpass the 400 not out made by Lara in 2004 for the West Indies against England in Antigua in 2004. Advertisement And yet at lunch on the second day in Bulawayo, Mulder surprised everyone by declaring on himself, bringing the South African innings to a close at 626/5. The all-rounder is standing in as skipper of South Africa with Temba Bavuma rested for the Zimbabwe series and Keshav Maharaj, who captained the first Test, not playing in the second match. The 27-year-old has usually batted lower down the order in his first-class career but was promoted up to first-drop at the start of this year, occupying the role in the World Test Championship final as the Proteas claimed victory at Lord's. There were few signs, though, of this sort of record-setting knock in a Test career in which Mulder had averaged 26.20 before this game. While Zimbabwe's attack is not as strong as most Test nations, Mulder took them apart with a fearsome display of hitting – after the hosts had elected to field after winning the toss. The South Africa captain finished day one 264 not out, a tally succeeded by a single batter on the opening day of a Test only by Don Bradman in 1930. Advertisement South Africa resumed on day two 465-4 but soon lost Dewald Brevis, with Kyle Verreynne joining his captain at the crease. Mulder would not be slowed, accelerating to a triple hundred off just 297 balls – the second fastest in history. He soon went past Hashim Amla's 311 to record the highest score by a South African in Tests, before seemingly setting his sights on Lara's famous tally. However, he decided not to bat on, content with fifth place on the all-time list. In all, he hit 49 fours and four sixes to rewrite the record books. Brian Lara's record innings of 400 looked set to be shattered in Bulawayo (AFP via Getty Images) Lara's 400 came just six months after the Trinidadian left-hander had lost the record, with Matthew Hayden's 380 for Australia against Zimbabwe in Perth exceeding Lara's 375 at Antigua in 1994 – a score also made against England. Sri Lanka's Mahela Jayawardene (374) is the other batter to exceed Mulder's 367. Advertisement The great West Indies batter also still holds the record for the highest individual innings in first-class cricket: 501 not out, made for Warwickshire against Durham at Edgbaston in 1994 having been dropped by wicketkeeper Chris Scott early on. South Africa, meanwhile, struck with their first ball as Codi Yusuf had Takudzwanashe Kaitano caught behind by Verreynne.
The Guardian
07-07-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
South Africa's Wiaan Mulder hits 367 … and declares 33 runs short of Lara's Test record
South Africa's Wiaan Mulder scored an unbeaten 367 against Zimbabwe before the stand-in captain remarkably declared just shy of Brian Lara's Test record. In his first match as South Africa captain in place of the injured Keshav Maharaj, all-rounder Mulder reached the stunning total – the highest by a player in his first Test innings as captain – as he arrived at lunch with the team on 626 for five. But with Lara's record in sight the captain declared. Mulder had been bowled when on 247 but was saved by a no-ball as Tanaka Civanga overstepped. Lara's 400 not out came against England at St John's in 2004. Lara's feat, which has stood for 21 years, is one of sport's great records, beating the previous record of 380, set by Australia's Matthew Hayden in 2003, who himself had beaten Lara's record of 375, set in 1994. Lara cemented his legacy in June of 2004, when his 501 for Warwickshire against Durham represented the highest first-class score of all time. Mulder reached his triple century in just 297 balls, making it the second-fastest 300 in Test history, behind Virender Sehwag's famous 278-ball effort against South Africa in Chennai in 2008. Sign up to The Spin Subscribe to our cricket newsletter for our writers' thoughts on the biggest stories and a review of the week's action after newsletter promotion Mulder's score also represents the highest ever score by a South African, passing Hashim Amla's 311 not out against England at the Oval in 2012.
