12 cricketers whose first scoring shot in Test cricket was a six
The dream of every young cricketer is to play Test cricket and once he gets selected in the national team, his ultimate goal is to get off the mark. Be it an opener or a middle order batsman or a tailender, the first run scored in Test cricket is special for everyone.
While most of the cricketers will nudge the ball for a single and open their account in Test cricket, there have been a few cricketers who have started off their Test career with a six.
Here is a look at all the 12 cricketers whose first scoring shot was a six in Test cricket.
#1 Eric Freeman
Eric Freeman is the first cricketer in the history of Test cricket to open his account with a six. The batting all-rounder made his debut for Australia at Brisbane in 1968 against India and it was in that game that he achieved the rare feat. He hit a six off the very second ball he faced in Test cricket and the bowler was Erapalli Prasanna.
However, Freeman did not achieve much success at the international level and represented Australia in 11 Tests. He averaged 19. 16 with the bat and 33.17 with the ball.
Post-retirement, Freeman worked as a commentator and a statistician with ABC radio in Adelaide. He has also mentored many young boys and helped them to improve their game with his valuable insights about the game of cricket.
#2 Carlisle Best
Best made his debut for the West Indies in the year 1986 at Jamaica against England. In the 1908s and the early 1990s, the West Indies were unbeatable and tasted success against all Test playing nations.
The 27-year-old Best was handed his debut cap at Jamaica and after receiving two bouncers from Ian Botham as his first two deliveries in Test cricket, he hooked the third ball he faced and opened his account with a six. It was a rare achievement for Best and the six he hit off Ian Botham will always be remembered by cricket fans in the West Indies.
Best is the first cricketer from the Caribbean to achieve this feat. He went on to play 8 Tests for West Indies and averaged 28.50 and scored one century against England at Barbados in 1990.
Post-retirement, he has worked with a bank.