Wiaan Mulder has revealed Brian Lara told him he should have attempted to break the all-time Test record for runs in an innings.

Mulder plundered an unbeaten 367 as South Africa hammered Zimbabwe.

Yet the stand-in South Africa captain raised some eyebrows when he elected to declare just 33 runs short of Lara's long-standing record of 400 not out, which he set for West Indies against England in 2004.

Mulder's score is the fifth-highest in history, and the highest of any South African and any player away from home.

367 - Wiaan Mulder's knock of 367* against Zimbabwe is the highest score by any batter in a Test match away from home and the fifth highest score in the format overall; it is also the highest score by any @ProteasMenCSA batter, overtaking H Amla's 311* (v ENG in 2012). Historic. pic.twitter.com/sTP5MjgCTV

— OptaJim (@OptaJim) July 7, 2025

Yet Lara wanted to see his record broken.

"Now that things have settled a little bit, I've chatted a little bit to Brian Lara," Mulder told SuperSport.

"He said to me I'm creating my own legacy and I should have gone for it.

"He said records are there to be broken and he wishes if I'm ever in that position again, I actually go and score more than what he had.

"That was an interesting point of view from his side, but I still believe I did the right thing and respecting the game is the most important part for me."

After declaring, Mulder said: "Brian Lara keeping that record is exactly the way it should be."