Top 5 batsmen with most sixes in Test history
Batsmen generally tend to play a defensive brand of cricket in Test matches. The success achieved by legendary Test cricketers like Sunil Gavaskar and Rahul Dravid stands testimony to that.
But not all players follow the same tried and tested template to be successful in Test cricket.
During the long and illustrious history of the game, a few players have tried to play their natural attacking game even in Test cricket. They have carved out a niche for themselves and set a new trend for the upcoming generations, showing a particular affinity for hitting sixes.
Here, we take a look at the most prolific six-hitters in the history of Test cricket. Some of the prolific six-hitters of this generation like MS Dhoni and AB de Villiers are surprisingly absent from this list; they have hit 78 and 64 sixes during their respective Test careers.
Before we get to the list of the top 5, here are the 5 cricketers who make up the top 10 list:
#10 Matthew Hayden - 82 sixes (103 matches)
#9 Andrew Flintoff - 82 sixes (79 matches)
#8 Viv Richards - 84 sixes (121 matches)
#7 Chris Cairns - 87 sixes (62 matches)
#6 Brian Lara - 88 sixes (131 matches)
#5 Virender Sehwag - 91 sixes (104 matches)
Virender Sehwag revolutionized the role of opening batsmen in Tests and set a new trend through his attacking brand of cricket. He played numerous match-winning innings for India during his Test career that lasted for over 10 years.
Sehwag finished with 104 matches and scored 8586 runs at an impressive average of 49.34, including 23 centuries and 32 fifties. He is the only Indian to have scored two triple centuries in Test cricket.
Known for scoring his runs at a breakneck pace, Sehwag hit a total of 91 sixes in Test cricket. He had a penchant for hitting a four or a six to reach an individual milestone, which is a rare sight in cricket.
Also see – World Test Championship points table