Former New Zealand Test captain Tim Southee continued troubling the opposition with his inferior skill as the pacer forged an unbeaten 112 runs off just 97 deliveries before the lunch break with the centurion Rachin Ravindra to peg back India in the ongoing Bengaluru Test. Southee was unbeaten on 49 off just 50 deliveries and smashed three fours and as many sixes during his rapid knock and also achieved a massive batting feat in Test cricket.
Southee took his sixes tally to 92 with three maximums in Bengaluru on Friday, October 18. After going past Brian Lara during the Sri Lanka series, Southee left former India opener Virender Sehwag behind on the list of batters with the most number of sixes in Test cricket. Sehwag, who has 90 sixes to his name in Tests for India and one for ICC XI, finished his career with 91 maximums in the longest format of the game.
Most sixes in Test cricket
131 - Ben Stokes (England) in 105 matches
107 - Brendon McCullum (New Zealand) in 101 matches
100 - Adam Gilchrist (Australia) in 96 matches
98 - Chris Gayle (West Indies) in 103 matches
97 - Jacques Kallis (South Africa) in 166 matches
92 - Tim Southee (New Zealand) in 103 matches
91 - Virender Sehwag (India/ICC) in 104 matches
88 - Brian Lara (West Indies) in 131 matches
Southee is still 15 sixes behind the current England coach and ex-Kiwi captain Brendon McCullum to smash the most sixes for New Zealand in the format. For India, skipper Rohit Sharma is just four sixes away from taking over Sehwag.
As for the match, New Zealand already have a 299-run lead in the first innings before the lunch break as after India got four wickets early on Day 3, the visitors denied them any hope of a comeback.
