Test cricket is one format that one normally relates to with the attributes of patience, grit and taking your time to settle in. There have been innings where batsmen have played close to 150 to 200 balls with just one or no boundary at all. This is the form of cricket where one needs immense concentration levels to help their team.
However, there is another side to batsmen who play the game – their natural ability. A lot of batsmen are blessed with power and an ability pick up bad balls. Though they try not to hit too much in Tests, they cannot help it if their natural ability comes in the way. This way, they end up smashing sixes even in Test matches for fun. Here are five batsmen with the most sixes in Tests:
Virender Sehwag:
The batsman who always did things a little differently, Virender Sehwag has the record for the most number of sixes hit in Test cricket by an Indian. Sehwag was one batsman who never let the situation stop him from playing his natural game.
His overall tally of 91 sixes in Test cricket came in numerous matches playing different opposition. He is famous for getting to a milestone with a six and such tenacity and bravado is missed today in cricket.
Jacques Kallis:
Probably the greatest all-rounder to have played the game, Jacques Kallis’ career spanned almost 2 decades where he played numerous innings with the bat when he wasn’t contributing to wickets with the ball.
Since Kallis played for so long, it’s not surprising that he has such a high number of sixes. 97 to be exact, Kallis was able to hit them long on a good day and is surely regarded as a player of the highest calibre by opponents all over the world.
Chris Gayle:
Now that Gayle plays T20 full time, it is almost surprising to know that he hit 98 sixes in Test cricket. Not that we put it past him, newer cricket fans will not know the beast that Gayle was even in the longest format of the game. During his career as a Test player for West Indies, Gayle has scored 98 sixes in 103 matches.
Chris Gayle is a player who comes once in a lifetime and just like Sehwag, he loves to play his natural game. Though he is not part of the international setup too much, the Windies could do with his expertise in Tests.
Adam Gilchrist:
The Australian keeper-batsman is considered one of the biggest hitters in the game and his record of 100 sixes in international Tests is a testament to the fact. What is even more surprising is that unlike ODIs and T20s, Gilchrist used to bat at number 6 or 7 in tests.
That actually means he came at times when the run rate was required to be pushed up as the brilliant top order would have done most of the job for him. To play with such freedom is a luxury and Gilchrist made sure he made the most of it.
Brendon McCullum:
A elite player and probably the most destructive batsman in cricketing history on a good day, Brendon McCullum changed the way batsmen approached the game. In Tests, he stands unparalleled with 107 sixes in a career of 12 years.
McCullum was always top billing when it came to batting but to show his prowess even in Test cricket shows how he valued his natural style of play. Many memorable innings of McCullum have had him blast sixes to all parts of the ground – even behind the wicket keeper. A legend.
Stats updated till 28th July 2017
