Unlike the short-form thrill of T20Is and ODIs, hitting a six in the traditional, methodical pace of Test cricket is a challenging feat. For decades, the maximum boundary was a rare indulgence.
However, modern-day power-hitters have redefined Test batting. Players like Ben Stokes, the current all-time leader, alongside aggressive legends such as Brendon McCullum, Adam Gilchrist, Rohit Sharma, and Rishabh Pant, have made clearing the ropes a regular spectacle in red-ball cricket. This fearless, white-ball mindset brought into the longest format has led to record-breaking six-hitting totals.
Who stands at the top of this elite list, and which modern marvels are rapidly ascending the ranks? In this article, we take a deep dive into the definitive list of the batsmen with the most sixes in Test cricket history, celebrating the players who brought a new dimension of power and aggression to the five-day game.
Most Sixes in Tests
| Players | Innings | Sixes |
|---|---|---|
| Ben Stokes (ENG) | 216 | 136 |
| Brendon McCullum (NZ) | 176 | 107 |
| Adam Gilchrist (AUS) | 137 | 100 |
| Tim Southee (NZ) | 156 | 98 |
| Chris Gayle (WI) | 182 | 98 |
| Jacques Kallis (SA) | 280 | 97 |
| Rishabh Pant (IND) | 86 | 94 |
| Virender Sehwag (IND) | 180 | 91 |
| Angelo Mathews (SL) | 212 | 90 |
| Rohit Sharma (IND) | 116 | 88 |
More Test Career Records
Key Insights on Power Hitting Records in Test Cricket
Elite Club of 100-Plus Test Career Sixes
Australia’s wicketkeeper-batter Adam Gilchrist became the first player to smash 100 sixes in the Test format. Gilchrist achieved this remarkable feat in a Test match against Sri Lanka in 2007. He ended his career with a tally of 100 sixes in 137 innings.
Apart from Gilchrist, only Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes have hit 100-plus sixes in Test cricket.
So far, only three batters have surpassed the 100 sixes mark in the history of Test cricket.
Rohit Sharma is the only player to feature in the all-time top 10 six-hitters chart across Tests, ODIs, and T20Is, making him the world leader in the all formats six-hitting record.
Individual Six-Hitting Records in Tests
Pakistan’s Wasim Akram (vs ZIM,1996) and India’s Yashasvi Jaiswal (vs ENG, 2024) have smashed the joint-most sixes in a Test innings, having struck 12 each.
Akram’s 12 sixes powered him to an unbeaten 257, the highest individual score by a No. 8 batter in Tests.
Jaiswal became the first batter to hit over 20 sixes in a bilateral Test series, finishing with 26 sixes in five matches against England in 2024.
Jaiswal set a new all-time high with 36 sixes in 2024. This is the most sixes by a batter in a calendar year in Tests.
Ben Stokes has hit the most sixes against one Test team, with 39 maximums against Australia.
Rishabh Pant became just the second Indian batter after Virender Sehwag to hit 90 sixes in Tests. The wicketkeeper-batter has the best sixes-per-innings ratio among Indians.
Team Six-Hitting Supremacy in Tests
India hit 28 sixes against England in the Rajkot Test in 2024, the most by a team in a Test match.
New Zealand hold the record for the most sixes in a Test innings, having 22 sixes against Pakistan in 2014.
India topped the sixes chart in 2024, becoming the first Test team to breach the three-figure mark with 142 sixes. This is the most sixes in a calendar year by a Test team.
India smashed 72 sixes in the five-match series against England in 2024, the most by a team in a bilateral Test series.
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