Batsmen with Most Sixes in Test Cricket
Jan 11, 2019 at 4:15 PM
Forget about the time when teams had banked on a go-slow approach, to be precise, in the Test format. With adventure taking centre stage, players have also stepped up to pace up an innings by playing an aggressive brand of cricket. One of such compositions had also listed the batsmen with most sixes in Test cricket. The players further had 100-plus sixes to their name in a nutshell.
We have witnessed marathon innings and then jaw-dropping spells before biting off the nails as the pendulum swung to and fro from one session to another.
On the dust bowls, spinners forced batters to dance as per their tone as batsmen have enjoyed fair share on a complete featherbed.
Moreover, with the involvement of players who further had no fear whatsoever while having an attacking instinct made Test cricket more enterprising.
Interestingly, the list eventually includes most of the audacious batsmen who loved to go after the bowlers.
Also, with the advent of T20 cricket, cricketers had further absorbed themselves in other formats, and by doing so, it further saw the decent rise in the Test cricket run-rate post-2000.
At times many teams went on to win a couple of sessions before being steamrolled in the crucial junctures of the game and such is the beauty of this format.
With Test cricket spread over five days, it has eventually panned out agonisingly surprising.
Now, Test cricket is being played with the pink ball—to adjust into the floodlights; it has further tested the calibre of players to give a clearer picture of the future of traditional format regarding its uniformity.
Here’s the list of top ten batsmen with most sixes in Test cricket:
- Brendon McCullum:
Brendon McCullum tops the list of players with most sixes in the Test cricket. Charismatic cricketer McCullum has been remarkable with the willow, so as, on the field.
Known as ‘Baz’ McCullum had a total tally of 107 sixes in 176 innings off 101 Test matches. He tops the chart of batsmen with most sixes in Test cricket.
With his Test career spanning over 12 years, the right-handed batsman McCullum amassed overall 6,453 runs at an average of 38.64.
- Adam Gilchrist:
One of the great wicketkeeper-batsmen of his time, Adam Gilchrist also finds a mention on the list with exactly 100 Test sixes.
The southpaw represented Australian National Cricket Team between 1999 and 2008 before reaping the rewards for his explosive batting. He played 96 Tests to amass 5,570 runs at an average of 47.60.
Moreover, Gilchrist has 17 tons and 26 fifties to his name in 137 Test innings.
- Chris Gayle:
Minimum effort and maximum result somewhat set a flair with Chris Gayle, who cherishes to hit the ball hard and long. Gayle sits third on the chart of batsmen with most sixes in Test cricket
With powerful forearms, Gayle had blasted off the opposition with his ferocious knocks in the recent times.
During his 14-year stint in the Test fold, the Windies star Gayle has 98 sixes to his name in 103 Tests. In 182 Test innings, Gayle amassed 7214 runs at the average of 42.18.
- Jacques Kallis:
With numbers favouring Jacques Kallis, he further made it to the list of players with the most number of sixes in the Test circuit. The veteran Proteas all-rounder Kallis smashed 97 sixes in 166 Tests. Overall, Kallis scored 13,289 Test runs in 280 Test innings. He is fourth on the list of batsmen with most sixes in Test cricket.
Also, Kallis has 45 centuries and 58 half-centuries to his name. Moreover, Kallis has been exceptional with the red ball to deceive top-notch batters.
Kallis had served as the backbone for South Africa over the years before he hung his boots in 2013.
- Virender Sehwag:
Whenever flamboyant batsman Virender Sehwag made an entry to take guard, he was a treat to watch. Having all the shots in his book, Sehwag made it a norm to clear boundary cushions with ease.
Rampant opening batsman Sehwag smashed 91 sixes in 104 Tests. Sehwag further made it to the fifth on the list of all-time batsmen with most sixes in the Test setup. He did a remarkable job for India. He amassed 8,586 runs in 180 innings at an average of 49.34.
- Brian Lara:
Having an ability to extend his arms most stylishly, Brian Lara has been the one who made bowlers toil hard for the wicket.
Windies rockstar smashed 88 sixes in 232 Test innings comprised of 131 Tests. He scored 11,953 runs at an average of 52.88.
Thoroughly dominant in his zone, Lara had often tried to improvise his game according to the much-required situation. Tending to convert his starts into big, Lara further had an affair to dispatch balls into the stands.
- Chris Cairns:
The Picton-born New Zealand National Cricket Team all-rounder Chris Cairns had been known for playing a vital role in the lower middle-order set-up of New Zealand team. The lanky player had a knack of going downtown against the best in business.
Former Black Caps right-handed batsman Cairns amassed 87 sixes in 62 Tests. Also, he scored 3,320 runs in 104 Test innings at an average of 33.53.
Interestingly, Cairns had registered five tons and 22 fifties under his belt during his 15-year-old Test career.
- Viv Richards:
Sir Vivian Richards had been living his dream while playing some delightful strokes. The great player of a natural game, Richards had a great Test record on his back. He smashed 84 sixes in 121 Tests.
Moreover, Richards had amassed 8,540 runs at an average of 50.23 which further saw him smashing 24 hundreds and 45 fifties.
He had a keen interest in unsettling the bowlers; Richards succeeded many-a-times to deliver the punch while being the part of the then high-flying Windies team.
- Andrew Flintoff:
Andrew Flintoff was such a character to fascinate one and all. He tried his hand in boxing after representing his nation in the gentleman’s game cricket.
In 79 Test matches, prominent figure Flintoff smashed 82 sixes to become ninth overall batsmen with most sixes in Test cricket. Ninth on the table of batsmen with most sixes in the Test Cricket, Flintoff proved himself at the big stage.
Flintoff also scored 3,845 runs at an average of 31.77. He settled with five tons and 26 fifties to his name.
- Mathew Hayden:
With Mathew Hayden’s sheer brilliance bowlers felt it hard to tackle with such a fluent stroke-maker during his tenure. Scoring runs at a brisk pace, Hayden further mastered the art of knitting the critical partnerships at the top.
Likewise, Flintoff, Hayden struck 82 sixes in 184 Test innings. Hayden is tenth on the list of batsmen with most sixes in Test cricket. He scored 8,625 runs at an average of 50.73.
Moreover, riding on his performance, Hayden garnered 30 hundreds and 29 fifties during his 15-year Test stint.
Batsmen with most sixes in Test cricket |
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Serial No. | Player | Matches | Innings | Runs | Ave | 6s |
1 | BB McCullum (NZ) | 101 | 176 | 6453 | 38.64 | 107 |
2 | AC Gilchrist (AUS) | 96 | 137 | 5570 | 47.6 | 100 |
3 | CH Gayle (WI) | 103 | 182 | 7214 | 42.18 | 98 |
4 | JH Kallis (ICC/SA) | 166 | 280 | 13289 | 55.37 | 97 |
5 | V Sehwag (ICC/INDIA) | 104 | 180 | 8586 | 49.34 | 91 |
6 | BC Lara (ICC/WI) | 131 | 232 | 11953 | 52.88 | 88 |
7 | CL Cairns (NZ) | 62 | 104 | 3320 | 33.53 | 87 |
8 | IVA Richards (WI) | 121 | 182 | 8540 | 50.23 | 84 |
9 | A Flintoff (ENG/ICC) | 79 | 130 | 3845 | 31.77 | 82 |
10 | ML Hayden (AUS) | 103 | 184 | 8625 | 50.73 | 82 |
11 | Misbah-ul-Haq (PAK) | 75 | 132 | 5222 | 46.62 | 81 |
12 | KP Pietersen (ENG) | 104 | 181 | 8181 | 47.28 | 81 |
13 | MS Dhoni (INDIA) | 90 | 144 | 4876 | 38.09 | 78 |
14 | RT Ponting (AUS) | 168 | 287 | 13378 | 51.85 | 73 |
15 | CH Lloyd (WI) | 110 | 175 | 7515 | 46.67 | 70 |
16 | Younis Khan (PAK) | 118 | 213 | 10099 | 52.05 | 70 |
17 | SR Tendulkar (INDIA) | 200 | 329 | 15921 | 53.78 | 69 |
18 | IT Botham (ENG) | 102 | 161 | 5200 | 33.54 | 67 |
19 | CG Greenidge (WI) | 108 | 185 | 7558 | 44.72 | 67 |
20 | TG Southee (NZ) | 108 | 185 | 7558 | 44.72 | 67 |
21 | AB de Villiers (SA) | 114 | 191 | 8765 | 50.66 | 64 |
22 | CL Hooper (WI) | 102 | 173 | 5762 | 36.46 | 63 |
23 | N Kapil Dev (INDIA) | 131 | 184 | 5248 | 31.05 | 61 |
24 | DPMD Jayawardene (SL) | 149 | 252 | 11814 | 49.84 | 61 |
25 | ST Jayasuriya (SL) | 110 | 188 | 6973 | 40.07 | 59 |
26 | Wasim Akram (PAK) | 104 | 147 | 2898 | 22.64 | 57 |
27 | SC Ganguly (INDIA) | 113 | 188 | 7212 | 42.17 | 57 |
28 | Imran Khan (PAK) | 88 | 126 | 3807 | 37.69 | 55 |
29 | DA Warner (AUS) | 74 | 137 | 6363 | 48.2 | 55 |
30 | AD Mathews (SL) | 74 | 137 | 6363 | 48.2 | 55 |
31 | CD McMillan (NZ) | 55 | 91 | 3116 | 38.46 | 54 |
32 | BJ Haddin (AUS) | 66 | 112 | 3266 | 32.98 | 54 |
33 | Shahid Afridi (PAK) | 27 | 48 | 1716 | 36.51 | 52 |
34 | Mohammad Yousuf (PAK) | 90 | 156 | 7530 | 52.29 | 51 |
35 | KC Sangakkara (SL) | 134 | 233 | 12400 | 57.4 | 51 |
36 | PA de Silva (SL) | 93 | 159 | 6361 | 42.97 | 48 |
37 | Javed Miandad (PAK) | 124 | 189 | 8832 | 52.57 | 48 |
38 | Inzamam-ul-Haq (ICC/PAK) | 120 | 200 | 8830 | 49.6 | 48 |
39 | HH Gibbs (SA) | 90 | 154 | 6167 | 41.95 | 47 |
40 | BA Stokes (ENG) | 49 | 89 | 2966 | 33.7 | 46 |
41 | LRPL Taylor (NZ) | 49 | 89 | 2966 | 33.7 | 46 |
42 | ME Trescothick (ENG) | 76 | 143 | 5825 | 43.79 | 42 |
43 | Harbhajan Singh (INDIA) | 103 | 145 | 2224 | 18.22 | 42 |
44 | ME Waugh (AUS) | 128 | 209 | 8029 | 41.81 | 41 |
45 | A Ranatunga (SL) | 93 | 155 | 5105 | 35.69 | 40 |
46 | JL Langer (AUS) | 105 | 182 | 7696 | 45.27 | 40 |
47 | RA Jadeja (INDIA) | 39 | 57 | 1395 | 32.44 | 39 |
48 | DM Bravo (WI) | 49 | 89 | 3400 | 40 | 39 |
49 | NJ Astle (NZ) | 81 | 137 | 4702 | 37.02 | 39 |
50 | MEK Hussey (AUS) | 79 | 137 | 6235 | 51.52 | 39 |
51 | MJ Clarke (AUS) | 115 | 198 | 8643 | 49.1 | 39 |
52 | IR Bell (ENG) | 118 | 205 | 7727 | 42.69 | 39 |
53 | NS Sidhu (INDIA) | 51 | 78 | 3202 | 42.13 | 38 |
54 | SCJ Broad (ENG) | 124 | 180 | 3064 | 19.39 | 37 |
55 | SK Warne (AUS) | 145 | 199 | 3154 | 17.32 | 37 |
56 | MA Starc (AUS) | 47* | 73 | 1283 | 21.03 | 36 |
57 | MA Holding (WI) | 60 | 76 | 910 | 13.78 | 36 |
58 | SPD Smith (AUS) | 64 | 117 | 6199 | 61.37 | 36 |
59 | S Chanderpaul (WI) | 164 | 280 | 11867 | 51.37 | 36 |
60 | DW Steyn (SA) | 88 | 111 | 1194 | 13.72 | 35 |
61 | SM Pollock (SA) | 108 | 156 | 3781 | 32.31 | 35 |
62 | Mohammad Rafique (BDESH) | 33 | 63 | 1059 | 18.57 | 34 |
63 | DJG Sammy (WI) | 38 | 63 | 1323 | 21.68 | 34 |
64 | M Vijay (INDIA) | 61* | 104 | 3962 | 38.46 | 33 |
65 | JR Reid (NZ) | 58 | 108 | 3428 | 33.28 | 33 |
66 | Tamim Iqbal (BDESH) | 56 | 108 | 4049 | 37.84 | 33 |
67 | WJ Cronje (SA) | 68 | 111 | 3714 | 36.41 | 33 |
68 | Sir RJ Hadlee (NZ) | 86 | 134 | 3124 | 27.16 | 33 |
69 | RG Sharma (INDIA) | 26 | 45 | 1517 | 38.89 | 32 |
70 | MN Samuels (WI) | 71 | 127 | 3917 | 32.64 | 32 |
71 | GS Sobers (WI) | 93 | 160 | 8032 | 57.78 | 32+ |
72 | MG Johnson (AUS) | 73 | 109 | 2065 | 22.2 | 31 |
73 | SR Watson (AUS) | 59 | 109 | 3731 | 35.19 | 31 |
74 | Mushfiqur Rahim (BDESH) | 66 | 123 | 4006 | 35.14 | 30 |
75 | MJ Slater (AUS) | 74 | 131 | 5312 | 42.83 | 30 |