Wiaan Mulder is leading South Africa as the stand-in captain for the match. The second Test between Zimbabwe and South Africa began on Sunday, 6th July at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. Wiaan Mulder made history by scoring a double century in the first innings of the game.
Keshav Maharaj was originally named captain for the series following Temba Bavuma’s withdrawal due to a hamstring injury. However, Maharaj sustained an injury during the first Test and was ruled out for the remainder of the series. Consequently, Wiaan Mulder was appointed captain for the second Test.
Making his debut as Test captain, Wiaan Mulder announced himself with an outstanding batting performance. His double century made him the first South African to score a double hundred on captaincy debut.
BeforeWiaan Mulder, only two players had achieved this milestone in Test cricket: former New Zealand captain Graham Dowling and former West Indies skipper Shivnarine Chanderpaul.
Wiaan Mulder Drives South Africa to a Massive First Innings Total
In the match, Zimbabwe won the toss and chose to bowl first. South Africa suffered early setbacks, losing their openers Tony de Zorzi (10) and Lesego Senokwane (3) quickly. However, Mulder’s remarkable double century propelled the Proteas to surpass 400 runs in their first innings. At the close of day one, South Africa stood strong at 465 for 4.
David Bedingham (82) and Lhuan-dre Pretorius (78) also contributed impressive innings for South Africa. The Proteas currently lead the two-match Test series 1-0, having won the first Test by 328 runs. The Zimbabwe vs South Africa Test series is not part of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27.
Table of Contents
Players to score a double century on test captaincy debut
| No. | Player | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graham Dowling | 239 |
| 2 | Shivnarine Chanderpaul | 203* |
| 3 | Wiaan Mulder | 264* |
