3 legendary Indian cricketers with the fewest sixes in international cricket
Indian cricket probably has the richest legacy ever in batting. They have given birth to the likes of Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, who have taken the country to greater heights.
Apart from these three batting pioneers, we have also seen the likes of Dravid, Ganguly, Sehwag, Dhoni, Rohit and many more batters who have been match-winners for the country in one or more formats of the game.
Quite a few Indian batting legends made it big without having six-hitting as a major skill in their arsenal. We take a look at three such Indian legends with the fewest sixes in international cricket.
#3 Rahul Dravid - 66 (504 matches)
Rahul Dravid played only 1 T20 International and he did this to Samit Patel in that match. 3 Sixes in 3 Balls. #Respect https://t.co/zRrIVV53Gc
Rahul Dravid, popularly known as 'The Wall', is one of India's biggest cricketing legends. The current coach of the national team is only the third player after Tendulkar and Dhoni to have played over 500 matches for the country.
He has scored 24064 runs (the second most since Tendulkar) at an average of 45.57, with 48 centuries and 145 half-centuries to his name.
Dravid also holds the record of facing the most balls in Test cricket history. He was also a classic textbook batter who played risk-free cricket in all formats of the game. He has hit 21 sixes in Test matches, 42 in ODI cricket and three in T20I cricket.
However, Dravid would bat aggressively too if required. He has a 22 ball half-century to his name in ODIs. He also took on English spinner Samit Patel for three consecutive sixes in the only T20I he played in 2011.
#2 Sunil Gavaskar - 47 (233 matches)
One of the greatest Test openers of all time, Sunil Gavaskar made his debut in 1971 against the West Indies. He has represented the country in 233 matches and has scored 13214 runs, including 35 centuries and 72 half-centuries.
Gavaskar was not a power-hitter. He was a classic textbook-style batsman who relied on his timing and class and not brute force. He hit 26 sixes in Test cricket and 21 in ODI cricket.
'Little Master' is fondly remembered for his iconic series in the West Indies, where he scored 774 runs in four matches on debut. Till date, it is the highest aggregate by an Indian batter in any Test series.
He also scored a hundred & a double hundred in the fourth Test at the Port of Spain, becoming the first and only player in the country to do so.
#1 VVS Laxman - 9 (233 matches)
134 Tests
17 centuries
👕 134 Tests
🏏 8781 runs
💯 17 centuries
He was the architect of India's historic come-from-behind victory over Australia in the 2001 Kolkata Test, scoring his career-best 281 in the match!
Happy birthday, VVS Laxman 🍰 https://t.co/cO5DsSVdFZ
VVS Laxman tops this list of Indian batters hitting the fewest sixes in their international careers. The wristy right-hander has scored 11119 runs in 233 matches, including 23 centuries and 66 half-centuries to his name.
Laxman has hit only nine sixes since ball-by-ball stats were made available. Five of them came in Tests, while the other four were in ODI cricket. However, he has struck 1135 fours and 222 fours in Test and ODI formats respectively.
He was one of the members of India's famed 'Fab 4' in Test cricket, which also included Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly.
Laxman has represented the country in over 100 Test matches, which is still one of the biggest accomplishments for a Test cricketer.