A cricketer is widely known for two things: for the records he makes and for the record he breaks. Double hundreds in ODIs, triple hundreds in Test matches, and 6 sixes in an over are the most popular of the records people know. Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, Virender Sehwag and Herschelle Gibbs are the firsts to pops up in everyone’s minds when the hear about such giant feats.
But do you know how many batsmen have struck six fours in an over? Here’s the complete list of batsmen who have thumped six fours in a single over of international cricket.
5. Sandeep Patil (India Vs England, 1982) – Test
In an age where Indian batting was considered to be defensive and classical. Cricket was completely favored by bowlers back then. Sandeep Patil was a refreshing prospect. Sandip Patil was an integral part of India’s middle order for close to half a decade. In Bob Willis’ over at Old Trafford, the Mumbai batsman showed his skills of clearing the boundary ropes.
India were in a spot of bother at 173/6 against England’s total of 425 runs in the first innings. Sandeep Patil during the course of his resurrecting 129 achieved the feat of six fours in an over. His flurry of boundaries included dashing square cuts, a swat down the ground, and a well-timed hook shot. Although the fourth ball of the over was a dot ball, the previous delivery which was a no-ball went for a four so Patil did complete his set of six fours in an over but they were not consecutive.
4. Chris Gayle (West Indies Vs England, 2004) – Test
The West Indian modern-day legend is known for his big-hitting in all format of cricket. The giant of T20 cricket holds the record for being the only batsman to send the first ball of a Test match for a six. Gayle also earned the record of scoring six fours in an over at The Oval in 2004.
Playing the match against England in Matthew Hoggard’s over, the left-hander began with a boundary in the midwicket region. He thrashed the next three balls through the offside. Later he scored the 5th four with a pull and a cracking cut to complete six fours in six balls. He went on to score 105 in the innings but failed to avoid the team defeat.
3. Ramnaresh Sarwan (West Indies Vs India, 2006) – Test
R Sarwan was a promising middle-order batsman and this happened in the third of the four-match Test series between West Indies and India at Basseterre. Batting first, Sarwan joined Darren Ganga to add 203 runs for the second wicket while both went on to score centuries. During his knock of 116 runs, Sarwan struck six fours in an over
At 280/1, West Indies were set in a terrific position. Munaf Patel stepped up to bowl the next over. Sarwan slashed the first ball for a boundary through the offside. A hook and a cover drive followed. The fourth boundary was a lucky escape as the inside edge flew just away from the stumps. Two consecutive square cuts completed the set of six fours in an over. The sixth ball was a no-ball but Patel got away with the extra delivery which went straight to the fielder.
2. Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka Vs England, 2007) – Test
The opener who had constant fear in the bowler’s heart throughout his career, Sri Lanka’s Sanath Jayasuriya was the most dangerous batsman back then. Anything in his zone was dispatched for a boundary and he took on James Anderson in a Test and smacked him for six fours in a row.
Anderson stepped up to bowl the 19th over. Jayasuriya greeted him with a lofted cover drive over the infield. He tried to repeat the shot and got a thick outside edge as the ball traveled past the first slip for four more runs. After another boundary, Anderson slipped a short ball which did not escape the opener’s fury. Another lofted cover drive helped him get his 6 fours.
1. Tillakaratne Dilshan (Sri Lanka Vs Australia, 2015) – ODIs
World Cup 2015 proved to be a memorable tournament for Dilshan. The Sri Lankan opener amassed 395 runs in seven matches. Although he scored two centuries in the tournament, his most memorable feat came against Australia during his 62-run knock. At Sydney, Aussies batted first and posted 376/9 in their 50 overs. Srilanka needed a quick-firing from the openers and Dilshan fulfilled the purpose.
Dilshan lost his opening partner Lahiru Thirimanne early. After five overs, Sri Lanka were 22/1 as Mitchell Johnson stormed in. Dilshan welcomed him with two booming drives on consecutive deliveries. Two stunning pulls on the next two balls made his intentions clear. Dilshan proved to be unstoppable as he drove the next two balls for two more boundaries. Despite Dilshan’s entertaining 62, Sri Lanka fell short by 64 runs
