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)

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#5 Virender Sehwag - 91 sixes (104 matches)

Virender Sehwag

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

#4 Jacques Kallis - 97 sixes (166 matches)

Jacques Kallis

Jacques Kallis is widely acknowledged as one of the best all-rounders to have ever played cricket.

Kallis was the backbone of South Africa's middle-order for a majority of his 18-year long international career. He was a pivotal member of the highly successful South African Test team during the latter half of the last decade and early part of the current decade.

Kallis finished with 166 matches and scored 13289 runs at an impressive average of 55.37 including 45 centuries and 58 fifties. He played several marathon innings for the Proteas, and hit 97 sixes in his Test career.

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#3 Chris Gayle - 98 sixes (103 matches)

Chris Gayle

Chris Gayle is primarily known for his exploits in T20 cricket across the globe, as he has an unparalleled record in the shortest format. But many cricket fans seem to forget that he has a decent record in Test cricket too.

As a matter of fact, only four players have scored two triple centuries in Test history - and Gayle is one of them.

The left-hander has played 103 matches and scored 7214 runs at an average of 42.18 including 15 centuries and 37 fifties. He has hit 98 sixes so far in his Test career.

#2 Adam Gilchrist - 100 sixes (96 matches)

Adam Gilchrist

Adam Gilchrist was an integral part of the dominant Australian team of the late '90s and early 2000s. He usually played in the lower middle order in Tests.

More often than not, Gilchrist used to play the role of the enforcer in that lineup. On numerous occasions, he single-handedly took his team to a safe position by playing attacking cricket.

Gilchrist played 96 matches and scored 5570 runs at an impressive average of 47.60 including 17 centuries and 26 fifties. He hit 100 sixes in his Test career and currently holds the second position on this list.

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#1 Brendon McCullum - 107 sixes (101 matches)

Brendon McCullum

Former Kiwi skipper Brendon McCullum is one of the most destructive batsmen the game of cricket has ever seen. Indian cricket fans will never forget the astounding knock he played in the first ever IPL match back in 2008, where he slammed 158 off just 73 balls.

McCullum enthralled his many fans throughout his career by constantly showcasing his six-hitting abilities in all formats of the game.

McCullum played 101 matches and scored 6453 runs at an average of 38.64 including 12 centuries and 31 fifties. He hit 107 sixes in his Test career and currently holds the pole position on this list.