Spectators in cricket – like in any other game – love to be entertained and usually prefer to watch an attacking batter in full flow. There have not been too many batters who have managed to hit six 4s in a single over in international cricket, and we will look at the chosen few who have achieved this feat in this article.
Let’s get on with the list:
#1 Sandeep Patil (IND) vs England (1982, Manchester)
The stylish middle-order batter was the first ever batter to achieve the feat of hitting 6 fours in an over. Patil did it in Test cricket when cricket did not have too many power hitters helped by modern equipment. Still, he managed to do it off the bowling of Bob Willis in England.
India was tottering at 173/6 in reply to England’s 425 at the time Patil decided to attack Willis. He made an unbeaten 129 as India managed to save the follow-on. Patil’s shots included a cut and an audacious hook that surprised Willis.
#2 Chris Gayle (WI) vs England (2004, Oval)
The destructive Gayle often toyed with opposition bowlers in white-ball cricket but achieved this commendable feat in the longest format of the game. Steve Harmison’s deadly bowling had forced West Indies to follow on after England had piled up 470.
Gayle then selected Matthew Hoggard for special treatment, hitting a boundary off every delivery he bowled in an over. His feat becomes even more special if one takes into account the fact that the Test was played on a bowler-friendly pitch.
#3 Ramnaresh Sarwan (WI) vs India (2006, St. Kitts & Nevis)
Sarwan, one of the finest batters to grace West Indian cricket during the last two decades, remains the only one to achieve this feat against India. He also did this in Test cricket, and Munaf Patel was on the receiving end.
Sarwan slashed hard for the first boundary and then hit a square cut and a hook to leave the Indian pacer stunned. Patel bowled a no-ball but escaped without conceding any run off his last delivery of the over. Still, he could not stop Sarwan from hitting six fours in the above.
#4 Sanath Jayasuriya (SL) vs England (2007, Kandy)
Jayasuriya was the most explosive batter of his day, and his name features in this list quite unsurprisingly. The Sri Lankan southpaw hammered James Anderson for 6 fours in an over in a Test against England in 2007.
Jayasuriya was past his prime then, but that did not stop him from achieving the feat by bludgeoning almost anything that Anderson had to offer. The English pacer bowled a few short deliveries to stem the flow of runs, but Jayasuriya dispatched them to the fence as well.
#5 Tillakaratne Dilshan (SL) vs Australia (2015, Sydney)
Dilshan, a swashbuckling opening batter in the limited overs format, is the only batter to achieve the feat in a World Cup match. Dilshan hit Mitchell Johnson for six fours in a game against Australia but could not win the game for his country.
Australia went on to win the match by 64 runs, but Dilshan’s quick reflexes enabled him to etch his name permanently in the history of the ODI World Cup. Dilshan retired soon after, and Sri Lanka has not yet been able to replace him.
#6 Harry Brook (ENG) vs Pakistan (2022, Rawalpindi)
Brook is the most recent addition to the list, as he achieved this feat in the Test match against Pakistan, with Saud Shakeel suffering the ignominy. England put the Pakistani attack to the sword and finished at 506/4 at stumps.
Brook also notched up his maiden Test ton in the process and entertained the spectators greatly. The English youngster has a bright future ahead of him and should serve English cricket for a long time.
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