Most sixes in Test cricket -Ben Stokes Tops the list

Most sixes in Test Cricket

Test cricket is the ultimate form of cricket. Almost all the legends of the game, be it the God, Prince, or the King of cricket, consider it to be the classiest format of the game. Test cricket is all about skill, technique, and patience.

However, being able to hit sixes always puts players in the headlines – even in this format. In this article, we will see who has hit the most sixes in Test cricket. Behold, there will be some surprises too and we will also talk about the top five Pakistan players to hit the most sixes in Test cricket to go with the top 5 players of other test nations too.

1. Ben Stokes (Eng)

England Test skipper Ben Stokes has recently surpassed his coach and former Kiwi captain Brendon McCullum’s record of the most number of sixes in Test cricket.

Stokes achieved the milestone in the first Test match between England and New Zealand played from February 16 to 19 in Mount Maunganui. McCullum had hit 107 sixes in 85 Tests.

Stokes has been at the helm of England’s Test cricket revival. His innings of 258 against SA at home was one of the best innings but Stokes rates his Headingley heroics above that.

2. Brendon McCullum (NZ)

Brendon McCullum, famously known as Bazz, held the record for most sixes in Test cricket for several years, before it was finally snatched by Ben Stokes. Bazz was one of the most destructive openers in the white-ball format, and his batting style in Test cricket wasn’t any different.

McCullum holds the record for hitting the fastest century in Test cricket. The quickest ton came (on 54 balls) came in the last Test match of his career against the mighty Aussies.

The man behind New Zealand’s overhaul also holds the record for hitting the only century for the KKR and the first of the IPL. As of now, he is second on the list of most sixes in Test cricket with 107 maximums in 101 matches (1.05 sixes per match). Interestingly, England captain Ben Stokes is just 4 sixes away from snatching this record from Bazz. All eyes will be on him when he features in the third Test against South Africa on September 8.

3. Adam Gilchrist (Aus)

The most ferocious wicketkeeper-batsman in Australian cricket history occupies the 3^rd spot on this list. Gilchrist’s 100 sixes from 96 matches (1.04 sixes per match) were way better considering he retired from Test cricket in January 2008Hehe was the first batter to hit 100 sixes in his highly decorated career. Any list is incomplete without him.

4. Chris Gayle (WI)

If I was ever asked to take a raw guess (without data) as to who has hit the most sixes in Test cricket, I would have named Chris Gayle. However, the Universe Boss, Christopher Henry Gayle is, unfortunately, 4^th on the list of 98 sixes from 100 matches (0.98 sixes per match).

He surely was a top contender to break many records, but his early retirement from the longest form of the game kept him just two short of the century of sixes. Gayle’s highest Test innings of 333 came against Pakistan in 2002.

5. Jacques Kallis (SA)

One of the best all-rounders the world has ever seen, Jacques Kallis is last on this list, with 97 sixes in 166 matches (0.58 sixes per match). He was the best all-rounder South Africa has ever produced.

His contributions to cricket are just too much. He was just phenomenal to watch whether his brilliant drives and hooks and his unprecedented bouncers. He surely was a top all-rounder that South Africa had to offer to the world.

Other notable members of this list of most sixes in Test cricket:

Most sixes in Test Cricket For India

1. Virender Sehwag: He was one hell of a batsman when it comes to hitting sixes. He evaporated the skill of Pakistani bowlers when he hit a triple century in Multan in 2004. He has 91 sixes from 104 matches.
2. Mahendra Singh Dhoni sits second on the list of the most sixes in Test cricket for the Indian cricket team. He redefined wicketkeeper-batters gust like Adam Gilchrist. (78 sixes of 90 matches).
3. Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is 3^rd on the list of most sixes by an Indian. He played 200 matches but hitting a six was never his forte though his elegant cover drives were a treat to watch. (69 sixes of 200 matches).
4. Rohit Sharma could come to the top if he continued to hit sixes like he is doing now. (64 sixes of 45 matches).
5. Kapil Dev, one of the finest all-rounders of his era, often goes into battle with the cricket fanatics with the great Imran Khan, sits comfortably at 5^th position in terms of hitting the most sixes for India. (61 sixes of 131 matches).

A notable name in the list of most sixes hit by Indian players is Rishabh Pant, he is a current wicketkeeper-batsman of India and already has hit 48 sixes from just 31 matches with a ratio of 54 which is best among the top 5.

Most sixes in Test Cricket For Pakistan

1. Misbah ul Haq, the most successful captain of Pakistan has hit the most sixes for Pakistan. (81 sixes of 75 matches).
2. Younus Khan, another elegant and the only batter from Pakistan to hit 10,000 runs sits comfortably in the 2^nd spot with (70 sixes in 118 matches).
3. Wasim Akram considered the best left-arm pacer by the cricket fraternity was also a good all-rounder with a best of 257* against Zimbabwe at Harare in 1996. He also struck 12 sixes in that innings which is still a record for most sixes in an innings. He is 3^rd on the list. (57 sixes of 104 matches).
4. Imran Khan, the world cup-winning captain of 1992 sits 4^th on this list. He was just brilliant. (55 sixes of 88 matches).
5. Shahid Afridi played only 27 matches but still has the best ratio of hitting sixes in test cricket. He has hit 52 sixes off 27 matches with a ratio of 1.9259.

Most sixes in Test Cricket for Australia

Aussie players have it in their blood to hit sixes. Here is the list of the top 5:

Most sixes in Test Cricket for West Indies

The players from the Caribbean are just known for their exquisite style of hitting big.

Most sixes in Test Cricket for England

Here are the top 5 with Ben Stokes going to become number 1 soon:

Most sixes in Test Cricket for South Africa

They are more known for their elegant stroke play not for sixes:

New Zealand

Here are the top 5 for the black caps with the brute force of Baz.

Sri Lanka

They too are elegant stroke players:

Bangladesh

Still developing their ability to hit sixes: